The Cat and the Mask
by BeautifulMessenger
Summary: Adrien Agreste lives a double life as superhero Chat Noir. And he has always longed to know the true identity of his partner, the beautiful superheroine, Ladybug. But knowing can be dangerous. When circumstances reveal the truth, the mask comes off, and Adrien discovers who the love of his life really is.
1. Chapter 1

Adrien's feet smacked hard against the cement. His breath came in deep painful gasps. The warm May sun glared oppressively on his sweaty neck and shoulders. His heart pounded in his ears, but he was acutely aware of all the sounds surrounding him: the distant traffic, the birds fluttering on the telephone lines, the low chattering of people walking past. He ignored them and continued to race toward the park and beyond, to the large cement building which, though it may look like a prison to some, was his hope for freedom. He was running like his life depended on it.

 _If I don't get there in time... But I have to!_

Arriving at the park, he checked himself and glanced hastily around for any sign of the familiar sleek black car which was supposed to chauffeur him everywhere he went. It was nowhere in sight, so he dashed ahead, weaving his way around the few people strolling along the path: a couple holding hands, a mother pushing her baby in a stroller, a young man jogging with his dog.

He clutched at the stitch in his side and pushed himself still harder as he felt his energy slack. He had mere seconds remaining!

He raced around the corner and the shadow of the school building fell over him. Waiting at the base of the front steps sat the familiar black car which belonged to his father. Standing outside the car his father's assistant, Nathalie, stared up at the front doors anticipating his exit from the school when the final bell rang.

He swallowed hard and darted down the nearest street, out of sight, ran up to a side entrance and made it into the school just as the bell rang.

"Phew!" he sighed, as all down the hallway classroom doors opened and students came pouring out. He put on his most casual expression and started walking amongst the crowd toward his chemistry class, where he would need to retrieve his book bag before finally going to catch his ride home.

"What am I going to tell her this time?" Adrien lamented under his breath. He'd already used up every excuse in the book, and even invented a few gems of his own.

"I don't know, but whatever it is, make it fast. I'm starving!" The small voice of Plagg, his Kwami, griped from his jacket pocket. Plagg looked like a cross between a black kitten with an oversized head and a bug. A very cute bug with large, green, almost human eyes and chubby cheeks. But Adrien would never tell him this. Plagg thought of himself as impressive and powerful, which he truly was, and being called cute might offend him.

Adrien turned his mind back to figuring out how to excuse his absence from most of Chemistry class. Whatever he told Ms. Mendeleiev, it couldn't be the truth.

What had actually happened was that, right as the class started receiving a lecture on the noble gasses, he had noticed strange flashes of light in the distance out the classroom window. When he looked more carefully, he could tell by the unnatural color of the light, and the fact that the source seemed to be moving up the street, that it must me an akumatized person. Someone who, in the grip of despair or anger, had been overtaken by the power of Hawkmoth and turned into a supervillain.

He had made a hasty excuse of needing to use the restroom and hurried outside. The moment he was alone, he'd called on Plagg to transform him into Chat Noir, one of Paris' greatest superheroes.

He'd spent the next twenty minutes fighting a crazed, delusional, akumatized girl who seemed to want to transform everyone in Paris into a puppy. Every time she made a transformation, a strange pink or sparkly blue light flashed; this was what he had noticed through the classroom window.

Fifteen minutes into the fight his partner showed up. Ladybug, as powerful and skilled as she was mysterious and beautiful, discovered where the evil akuma was hiding, and they were finally able to release the akuma and save the little girl, who had been distraught that her puppy had run away. With her final spell, Ladybug, was able to put everything right again and the two of them were free to return to their normal lives.

He couldn't tell any of this to his teacher, however. Because his true identity had to be kept a secret. So he needed to come up with some other lame excuse why he had been in the bathroom for so long.

Adrien raised his hand to wipe the sweat from his forehead, but stopped, struck by sudden inspiration. Instead, he pushed the door open to Ms. Mendeliev's classroom and let all the weariness he was feeling show on his face. He was still flushed from running for the past half hour, his blonde hair was streaked with sweat and sticking to his forehead, and he was still breathing rather heavily.

Ms. Mendeleiev, nevertheless, eyed him suspiciously as He entered the now empty classroom.

"So, Adrien, you've decided to return to class after all?"

"I'm sorry. I think something I ate must not have agreed with me."

"And last week you had an urgent phone call you had to make to your father. And before that you forgot your textbook in your locker, and it took you an hour to retrieve it!"

"I know, I'm sorry."

"And it's not just in my class, young man. I've had a talk with your other teachers, and they all report the same problem. Running out in the middle of lessons, or not showing up at all! What would your father say if he found out you were cutting classes?"

"Please! Please don't bother my father with this! It's honestly just a misunderstanding! I swear. I really do feel unwell."

"Well, there's one way to tell for sure," Ms. Mendeleiev said curtly. She stalked over to her desk and pulled out the classroom's first aid kit, opened it up, and pulled out a shiny black strip of plastic. "This is a thermometer. If you really are sick, we'll soon find out."

She held the plastic up to his forehead, it was cold against his skin. Adrien's mind raced, trying to figure out what to do if he wasn't warm enough to register a fever.

"Honestly, you children need to take your education more seriously. How do you expect to learn anything if you're always running out of class to play, or buy candy, or kiss under the bleachers, or whatever it is you're doing?" Ms. Mendeleiev grumbled, still holding the plastic thermometer to his forehead. "In all my years of teaching I never knew any student who skipped out as much as you do. Except maybe Marinette. That girl cuts class every chance she gets. Is she the one you're running off to see all the time?"

"M-Marinette?" Adrien stammered, hardly registering what she was implying. Marinette was a shy, awkward girl who he'd known ever since he started attending this school. His best friend, Nino, was dating her best friend, Alya, so he did end up spending time with her in groups. But they never really seemed to be able to make a connection. She was a nice girl, but didn't seem very sure of herself. So it was difficult to really get to know her.

"If you two want to have your little romantic rendezvous," Ms. Mendeleiev continued, "I'll thank you not to have them during school hours. If this kind of nonsense continues I'll be forced to bring it to your parent's' attention."

"But-But I'm not."

She held up a finger to silence him and squinted down at the thermometer. "Well, it does appear that you have a low grade fever...this time."

Just then the door burst open and in came Nino, Adrien's best friend and, metaphorically in this circumstance, lifesaver.

"There you are!" Nino exclaimed, looking relieved. "Dude, I've been looking everywhere for you! I grabbed your book bag for you when you didn't come back during class."

"Well, you may go now." Ms. Mendeleiev said curtly. "But let this be a warning for you. I won't stand for any more tardiness or unexcused absences. You're a senior this year, and if you expect to graduate you need to attend your classes."

"Yes, ma'am!" Adrien turned to Nino with an appreciative smile and took the book bag from his outstretched hand. "Thanks."

"So, what happened, man? Where'd you go?" Nino asked, as soon as the door closed behind them.

"I don't know," Adrien grimaced, "It must have been the bouillabaisse I ate last night or something. I'm starting to feel better now, though."

"Well, that's good, at least... that you're feeling better, I mean." Nino chuckled. "So, I was wondering. Or, actually, Alya was wondering, if you might be able to get out of fencing lessons today. You see, she and Marinette want to go catch a movie. But Alya wants me to come, too. And she's worried that Marinette might feel like a third wheel, you know? So if you came along, it would be more like a group thing and Marinette wouldn't feel so awkward if I was there. What do you think?"

"Hmmm..." Adrien frowned as they exited the school, among the last stragglers left in the building. "I don't know, Nino. My dad is pretty insistent that I always go to my classes."

"I know, but it couldn't hurt to try, right? You could at least ask...Hey, I know! Maybe you could tell your dad that you want to take a girl on a date? He's got to want you to start seeing a girl sooner or later."

"A date? You want me to tell my dad that I'm going on a date with Marinette?"

"Well, since I'm dating Alya, Marinette is the only other option." Nino rolled his eyes as though Adrien was missing the obvious.

They paused at the top of the last flight of steps. Nathalie had opened the back door of the car for Adrien and was standing by, waiting for him to get in. He waved at her to say that he would be there in a moment.

"Somehow, I think that telling my dad it's a date will make him _less_ likely to let me skip fencing."

Nino frowned.

"I'll ask him. But I'll just tell him the truth. I'll give you a call to let you know what he says, okay?"

On the way home in the car, Adrien surreptitiously took out a piece of Camembert cheese he had stashed in his book bag and poked it into his inside jacket pocket. Plagg snatched it and began devouring it quietly while Adrien pulled out some of his books and notes and pretended to study, turning pages and shuffling papers to disguise the sound of the little kwami chewing.

A date with Marinette? The thought came unbidden into his mind, as though it had been waiting under the surface, ready to bubble up as soon as he had a moment to dwell on it.

The idea wasn't entirely unappealing, if he admitted it to himself. She was a pretty girl. And, it was impossible not to notice, she thought a lot of him. But most girls were infatuated with his fashion model, wealthy man's son, image. He figured it would just take a while for that to wear off, and then she could really get to know who he was. And when that happened, he could really get to know her. Still, he doubted whether she could ever hold one hundredth of the attraction for him as another girl he knew. Another girl who, if he came to think of it, Marinette reminded him of a bit, if only in appearance. Perhaps that was one reason the idea of a date with Marinette intrigued him, why he found himself looking at her in class sometimes when his mind wandered. She reminded him of his superheroine partner, Ladybug.

Ladybug...He smiled softly. It hadn't taken long at all for her to steal his heart completely. Their very first day working together, her confidence in the face of adversity, her boldness in confronting evil, her cleverness in battling akumatized victims, even the gracefulness of her movement captivated him.

Ever since that day he had been desperate to convince her how completely he loved her. He'd never managed to quite get the words out, but he made it no secret. Still, no matter how flamboyant he was, or how much he tried to joke with her and make her laugh, or how chivalrous he behaved toward her, she dismissed all of his affection as mischievous playfulness and demanded that he focus on their work.

He had thought, for a while, that he might discover who she really was under the mask. If he knew her true identity, they might be able to spend more time together. And maybe he could win her heart. But she was vehemently opposed to this idea, insisting that their true identities must remain a secret, even to one another.

Sure, Adrien had thought of many arguments against this. If they knew each other's identities, they could help one another, covering for each other's mysterious disappearances. If one of them discovered an akumatized person, they could call or send a text to the other's cell phone to alert them. And they could spend more time together formulating plans on how to find and defeat Hawkmoth.

But he understood her reason for secrecy, even if she didn't say it. What if one of them ended up akumatized at some point? Adrien shuddered, he didn't know how much Hawkmoth could control his victims. But if he, Adrien, was ever under his influence, would he really be able to resist telling Hawkmoth everything he knew? He'd been mind-controlled by Hawkmoth's victims before, several times, and he had no control of himself, and no memory of his actions once the spells were broken. How could he be sure he would keep Ladybug safe if Hawkmoth akumatized him? The only way to be sure was to not have the dangerous information in the first place.

The car approached the gate to his father's estate and his bodyguard, "The Gorilla" as Adrien thought of him because of his massive size and stoic nature, punched in the key code and the gate slowly swung open.

The Agreste estate was the most prominent building on the hillside, and in the neighborhood, and even in the entire residential district. Built like a fortress, with all the latest technological defenses and luxuries, it should have felt like living in an extravagant resort. But to Adrien, it mostly just felt cold and lonely. It was better, now that he had Plagg to keep him company. But his father barely had time to notice that his son existed. And, while Adrien loved his father, he couldn't help feeling resentful.

The car stopped at the top of the hill, Adrien thanked the Gorilla and Nathalie for the ride and made his way to his room, closing the door for some privacy.

Plagg flew out of his jacket, darted toward the tray of snacks left out for Adrien, and began munching on another wedge of cheese.

"You know," Plagg said, "Your friend might have a point. About convincing your father to have the evening free, I mean."

"What?"

"You need to take a break once in a while like anybody, right? Maybe if your dad thought you had a girlfriend, he might ease up a little bit."

Adrien sighed. "Plagg, if you've learned anything about my father, you should have learned that 'easing up' basically isn't in his vocabulary." He glanced at the clock; he had two hours until his fencing lesson.

Adrien dropped his bag and went to his bathroom to take a quick shower and wash off all the sweat and dust from the day's adventure. When he was done, he changed into clean clothes and sat down to begin his History homework. With all the private tutors he'd had before beginning public school, most of what he was learning was review anyway.

"Well," Plagg continued, picking up the conversation as though it hadn't been interrupted, "it couldn't really hurt to try, right? And maybe you'll like Marinette more than you think."

"What?" Adrien shook his head in confusion. "I like Marinette just fine. She's a nice person. And I promised Nino I would ask. So I will." He eyed the little kwami suspiciously. But Plagg just shrugged and grabbed another chunk of cheese.

Adrien finished his history homework quickly and moved on to Chemistry while Plagg started flipping through the channels on the television. Chemistry was a bit more difficult for him, since this material was new and he'd missed the whole class. He read the chapter in his book through a couple of times, and did some research on the internet to figure out parts that were confusing.

"...because once again, the great heroes of Paris have saved the day!" a reporter announced from the television, breaking into Adrien's concentration.

"Thank you, June. And in case you're just tuning in, Ladybug and Chat Noir were seen today near the Champs Elysees, rescuing yet another victim of the notorious supervillain, Hawkmoth."

Adrien looked up at the television, and saw shaky footage of himself and Ladybug, tiny in the screen, jumping around and dodging the pink and blue beams of light the little girl was shooting at them. Seeing himself as Chat Noir always amazed him. He could scarcely believe that he was able to jump so high, or perform such acrobatics, or withstand such beatings. He certainly couldn't do anything like it without Plagg. The little kwami imbued him with an enormous amount of power and skill when he transformed him into Chat Noir.

"The citizens of Paris are exceedingly grateful for the ongoing vigilance of our two superheroes. But we have to ask ourselves, when will these attacks ever end?"

Adrien stopped listening to the news report and focused on finishing his homework. The reporters always said the same thing: "Thank you so much. But why haven't you defeated Hawkmoth, yet? When will these attacks stop?" He wished he had an answer for them.

He and Ladybug had been trying to work out who Hawkmoth was for years, with little success. They knew it had to be someone who had access to the moth kwami, Nooroo. But, according to Plagg, and Ladybug's kwami, Tikki, Nooroo was being influenced by a dark energy. Hatred, or despair, or grief so powerful it turned Nooroo's power into a force for evil. Hawkmoth probably lived in isolation, or isolated himself from the people around him at every opportunity. He might have in his possession other artifacts related to the kwamis. And he might show some sort of fascination or obsession with Ladybug and Chat Noir.

They had discovered that the reason Hawkmoth wanted their miraculouses - Ladybug's earrings and Chat's ring, with which they bonded to their kwamis and accessed their power - was so that he could use their combined power to grant a wish. What that wish might be, however, was still a mystery. But, with the way their power worked, every action would have an equal and opposite reaction. If Hawkmoth wished to gain power, for instance, someone else would have to lose power. If he wished for wealth, someone would become impoverished. If he wished for a long life, someone's life would be cut short.

Adrien finished the last line of his essay, tucked his homework into his bag with a sigh, and glanced again at his clock.

"I guess I'd better go now, if I'm going to go at all."

"That's the spirit!" Plagg chimed, flitting over to Adrien and tucking himself into his inside pocket.

Adrien paused a moment to grab a few small pieces of cheese, wrap them in wax paper, and tuck them into another pocket, out of reach of his kwami. He'd been caught too many times without food, and he couldn't transform into Chat Noir if Plagg was hungry. But he also knew what a greedy little glutton Plagg was. If he could reach the cheese, he'd eat it all before he really needed it.

Adrien made his way up to his father's study, through many empty rooms and long lonely hallways. It almost seemed eerie that his footsteps didn't echo in the vast open spaces, but the rich carpeting throughout the estate made him as quiet as a cat wherever he went.

When he arrived, he knocked tentatively on the door, suddenly feeling quite nervous.

"Yes, come in," his father's voice called. The door opened, and Nathalie motioned for him to enter.

"Adrien," Gabriel Agreste, Adrien's father, said his name in monotone nearly void of all emotion. "What can I do for you?" This was also said in monotone, but Adrien thought he caught a hint of, "what do you want? Hurry up so I can get back to what I was doing."

"I...I was wondering... Some of my friends are going to see a movie today. And they invited me to come, if I could make it. I was wondering if it would be okay for me to miss fencing, just for today, so I could go with them?"

"Hmm, I'm not sure that's a good idea. You know how important it is to keep up with your practice. And once you start missing practice to run off and have fun, it's difficult to stop the next time. No, you will go to your fencing lesson unless something really important comes up."

Adrien bowed his head and started to turn. But then he thought about what Nino had said. That Alya was bringing Marinette. But Marinette would feel awkward, like a third wheel, maybe even feel unwelcome unless he came. How would he, Adrien, feel if he went somewhere with Nino and Alya and the two of them were absorbed in one another, leaving him to feel like he really shouldn't be there. Even though they were both good friends and would never mean for that to happen, it surely would. And Marinette was his friend, too. He had to try a little harder, for her sake.

"Um... father?"

"Yes?" Gabriel lifted his eyes from the computer screen in front of him, seeming slightly confused that his son was still in the room.

"You see... the thing is...," Adrien felt himself blushing furiously and looked down at his feet. "There's this girl coming and... It's kind of a date. A double date..." He paused and dared to glance up at his father, whose face was as expressionless as stone. "My friend is taking his girlfriend. And I would be going with a girl from school... I really want to go. Please?"

Gabriel regarded his son for a long moment, saying nothing. If Adrien had looked around, he might have seen that Nathalie was staring at him, somewhat in shock. Then Gabriel sighed, folded his hands, and leaned forward.

"Adrien, if you want to ask this girl out, I suggest you schedule your date around your other obligations, not vice versa. I'm afraid the lady in question will just have to be disappointed today."

He leaned back and gave his computer his full attention again.

Adrien turned and slowly walked out of the room.


	2. Chapter 2

Adrien called Nino the moment he got back to his room.

"Adrien! My man! How did it go? Are you coming?"

Adrien sighed. "It went about as well as I thought it would. He says if I want to go out I have to schedule it around my other obligations."

"Your dad is so strict, dude!"

"Yeah, I know. It's irritating, but he only does it because he thinks that's what's best. He's not really trying to be a jerk."

"Hey, Adrien, have you ever thought about what you'll do once we graduate?"

"Like getting a job?"

"I was thinking more like...moving out."

"Um...well..." Truthfully, Adrien had not given it much thought at all. With school and extracurricular activities plus the obligations that came with being Chat Noir, he simply hadn't had much time to give it any consideration. "Yeah... Yeah, of course I've been thinking about it. I can't go on living with my father forever."

"I've been actually looking around at apartments in the city. It's really expensive."

"This _is_ Paris, of course. I don't think you'll find anything cheap here."

"But I don't want to move out of the city. All my business is here. If I moved away, it would take forever to get to all my gigs. I would lose a lot of customers."

Nino had been developing a thriving DJ business ever since he had made his appearances on a popular television game show, winning some substantial prize money in the process. His business was booming.

"What are you thinking, then?" Adrien had the sneaking suspicion that his best friend was leading up to something.

"I was just thinking... Well, it's not important right now. You know, forget it. I'll tell you later."

Adrien glanced at his clock. "Uh, sorry Nino. I need to go get ready for fencing."

"Hey, no problem, dude. I'll see you in school tomorrow."

"Yeah, see you tomorrow."

Adrien was running late, so he put the conversation with Nino out of mind and hurried to gather his gear, packing it all neatly into his duffel bag, throwing it over his shoulder, and jogging downstairs where The Gorilla and Nathalie were waiting with the car.

Adrien climbed in with his bag and they drove back to the school where his fencing classes were held in the courtyard. On the way, he noticed that Nathalie was having a conversation with his bodyguard. Or, rather, she was talking to him and he was grunting in reply, apparently in agreement. But he didn't hear what she was saying.

They arrived at the school and Adrien hurried to his locker to change into his gear. He was just fastening his jacket when Mr. D'Argencourt, his fencing instructor, came limping into the changing room, favoring his right foot and grimacing in pain.

"Mr. D'Argencourt! Are you all right?" Adrien rushed over to him and helped him to a bench, where he sat heavily, wincing, and rubbed his ankle.

"Oh, I think I'll be okay, Adrien. I just missed a step coming into the school and turned my ankle. A silly accident. All the same, I do feel it swelling up a bit-"

"Wait right here!" Adrien interrupted, and ran away and up the stairs. The school was almost completely empty now. But he hoped he would be able to find someone in the cafeteria. And he was in luck. The kitchen staff was just finishing up their cleaning when he came running in.

"Please, can I have a bag of ice? My friend twisted his ankle and needs it to help the swelling."

In a few moments Adrien was running back to the locker room with a plastic bag full of crushed ice.

"Good gracious! Did you really run all the way to the kitchen to fetch ice for my ankle?" Mr. D'Argencourt exclaimed when he saw Adrien.

"It's no problem, sir. Here..." Adrien went to put the ice on his teacher's ankle, but Mr. D'Argencourt stopped him, taking it in his hand and regarding Adrien fondly.

"Don't fuss over me now, lad. I'll be fine. But I'm afraid I am going to have to cancel your lesson for this evening." He raised an eyebrow. "You will just have to find something else with which to occupy your time today."

The locker room door opened again and The Gorilla entered. He looked at the dumbfounded Adrien, at the nearly empty duffel bag, and at the clock. Then he gazed at Adrien inquiringly.

Adrien stood for a moment in utter confusion, then comprehension flashed through his mind.

"What? Really? Are you serious?"

"Of course, my boy! I can't fence on this ankle." Mr. D'Argencourt winked.

Adrien started stripping off his gear and stuffing it into his duffel. "Thank you Mr. D'Argencourt!" He exclaimed as he threw his clothes back on again.

"I haven't the slightest idea what you could be thanking me for. Injuring my ankle?" Mr. D'Argencourt replied with a too-innocent expression which quickly melted into a smile. "Be aware that I'm going to work you twice as hard on Friday, though!"

"Yes! Of course! Thank you!" Adrien gasped, and ran out of the locker room, phone in hand, dialing Nino.

"Adrien! What's up, bro?"

"Nino, my lesson was cancelled! Do you guys still want me to come? I can be on my way now. I know the movie starts in fifteen minutes, but..."

"Sure! Of course! I'll tell Alya right now. See you soon."

Adrien put his bag into the back seat of the shiny black car and hopped in.

"Where to, Adrien? Home?" Nathalie asked, a slight smile playing at the corner of her mouth.

"The movie theater, please. As fast as we can."

The Gorilla grunted in approval and pulled out of the parking lot.

They made it to the theater shockingly fast. Not for the first time, Adrien wondered where his father had found The Gorilla. The man had some serious skills. But he also never spoke, so it was hard to learn anything about him. Adrien would have been surprised if The Gorilla hadn't at one time been a member of the French Secret Service or DGSE.

Adrien leaned forward to thank the man, and surreptitiously opened up his jacket. Plagg zoomed up out of his duffel and tucked himself back into the inside pocket without being seen.

"We'll be waiting for you here when it's over." Nathalie said, pulling out her laptop and sitting back contentedly.

Inside the theater the smell of popcorn and excited murmuring of the crowd filled Adrien with anticipation. He rarely had the opportunity to "kick back" as Plagg would put it. He'd never even really heard of this movie, which looked like it was a comedy about secret agents who fell in love on the job, but didn't know that they knew each other in their daily lives.

He purchased his ticket and one for Marinette as well - he was supposed to be taking her on a date after all - and saw Nino and Alya waiting by the concessions.

"Yo, Adrien!" Nino called, waving him over.

"We're so glad you could make it!" Alya exclaimed, her phone was in her hand. It looked like she was dialing the same number over and over.

"Me, too. Is Marinette on her way? The movie is about to start."

"That's what..." Alya began, "wait...here we go." She held the phone to her ear. "Marinette. Nino and I made it to the theater and guess who could come after all, and is standing right next to me?"

Adrien couldn't make out the response, but it sounded kind of like a squeal.

"That's right, he's right here with us. If you want to come, the movie starts in a few minutes. Hurry and you won't miss much of it."

Adrien winced internally. He hated that his unpredictable schedule today caused his friends trouble.

"Okay, if you say so." Alya continued into the phone, rolling her eyes. "But we all know you live across town...What? Girl, since when do you go jogging?...All right, we'll see you when you get here. Bye." Alya hung up and chuckled.

"So, what did she say?" Nino asked.

"She said that she decided to go for a jog this evening and was already almost here, so she should only be a couple minutes." Alya shrugged. "I wouldn't question it too much."

"Lets grab some popcorn while we wait," Nino suggested. So the three of them went up to the counter and ordered some popcorn and soda. Before their snack was even ready, the theater doors opened again and in stumbled a rather breathless Marinette.

"Wow, you weren't kidding!" Alya exclaimed when Marinette walked up to them, grinning and flushed.

"You really jogged here?" Adrien asked, surprised and a little impressed. She was even dressed nicely, wearing a blouse, capris, and a light jacket.

"Um, yeah! I really like funning to run! I mean running is funning! I mean..." She took a breath. "Jogging is fun." Her face flushed a deeper red and looked at her feet. Then her head snapped up. "Oh, I need to buy a ticket! You guys go in without me, I'll be right there."

"Wait, Marinette. It's okay, I have a ticket for you." Adrien held it out to her and her eyes widened a little in surprise. "I, um, sort of told my father I was taking a girl on a date tonight. So it would seem strange if I only bought one ticket." He explained. "I hope you don't mind." He added, when she said nothing but continued to stare at the ticket in his outstretched hand.

"Oh, that's okay. Right, Marinette?" Alya intervened. "You can buy the tickets next time!"

"Um... yeah!" Marinette laughed nervously. "Next time... I'll pay next time." She reached out and took the ticket, Adrien thought he saw her fingers trembling slightly.

They grabbed their popcorn and drinks and strolled down the hall to the theater. Alya and Nino walked side by side and Adrien and Marinette followed behind them.

"So... have you heard much about this movie?" He asked her.

"Huh? Oh, me? Um, well... not really. Which movie are we going to see?"

"Spy Face. I heard it's pretty funny. But I don't know much about it."

"Oh!" Marinette blushed. "I think Alya picked the movie. She was telling me about that one the other day." Marinette glanced up at Adrien. "She thought it would make a good date movie." She looked away again quickly and brought her hand to her mouth.

"I like funny movies the best." Adrien said. "If you can laugh with someone, then you know you really get along. So I think Alya might be right."

They took their seats in the middle of the theater, with the boys on the outside and the girls sitting next to one another.

In front of them, a lady with a streak of shockingly white hair sat by herself. But throughout the room there were other groups of people, mostly couples, seated and waiting for the movie to start.

They didn't have long to wait. The lights dimmed and the usual pre-show notices played on the screen. When the previews began, Plagg squirmed out of Adrien's pocket and wiggled his way down by Adrien's elbow, where he'd be able to watch the movie without being noticed. Even if someone did notice him, he was completely black and looked very much like a toy. Adrien tossed him a few pieces of popcorn, but he refused to eat them. The little kwami ate exclusively cheese unless it was an emergency. But Adrien kept trying to tempt him with other foods. He hated carrying around stinky camembert or brie all the time just to satisfy Plagg's particular tastes.

The movie started, and it was every bit as funny as Adrien had hoped. There was plenty of action, too, and a good dose of romance. The two main characters, who were madly in love with one another in their secret agent personas, couldn't seem to make it work when they were being just average citizens. They were constantly misunderstanding one another, or just not being themselves. Adrien laughed at the absurdity that they couldn't recognize one another just because they were wearing different clothes.

As the movie progressed, Adrien noticed the woman in front of them turning around periodically and looking up into the back seats, like she was looking for someone. She was fondling the pendant hanging from a gold chain around her neck nervously. Finally, during a long scene at a beach, when the brightly lit screen filled the theater with light, the woman looked back and seemed to find who she was looking for. With a shocked expression she turned back around and slumped in her seat.

The scene changed. The screen grew darker. Adrien could just make out the outline of the woman in front of them, her shoulders shaking with silent sobs. He felt badly for her, though he didn't know what could have upset her.

What nobody in the room saw was a small black butterfly fluttering down from the ceiling and landing on the woman's necklace


	3. Chapter 3

Adrien couldn't help watching the woman seated in front of them, wondering if she was all right. Her head was bowed low and her shoulders shook with silent sobs. Then Adrien thought she must have turned on her phone, because he saw a slight purple luminosity around her face.

The next moment, everything changed. The woman stood up, no longer dressed in a blouse and slacks, but wearing a strange outfit which looked like armor made of white leather and diamond. Her hair, completely white now, framed her face like a windswept mane. Her exposed skin was dusted with sparkling crystals which looked like frost on a windowpane. And coldest of all was her expression as she once again gazed into the back of the theater.

The room was still dark, and almost nobody noticed the alarming change in this woman's appearance. In fact, Adrien wasn't even sure anybody else had noticed this woman at all. She raised her hand and aimed a long slender finger toward a couple sitting in the very back row. Suddenly, a globe of white light shot from her hand to the back of the room and enveloped the couple, encasing them in a mound of solid ice.

"Get down!" A familiar voice cried from right next to him. Adrien found himself hurled to the floor with somebody on top of him, pinning him down. He looked up and saw Marinette, eyes narrowed at the white woman, jaw set. She turned her eyes toward Alya and Nino. "Down! Now!" she hissed and they hurried to obey.

The white woman, meanwhile , satisfied with her first freezing, turned and started shooting white blasts at all the exits, filling every escape route with solid ice.

"Oh no!" Adrien moaned. If there was no way in, then Ladybug would not be able to join him and they would not be able to capture the akuma and save this woman and everyone else in the theater. He could use is cataclysm power to free one of the exits, but he would have to transform to do that. And that meant he would have to get away from his friends first.

The other people in the theater began to realize what was going on. The panicked crowd screamed and people shoved against one another trying to reach the doors. But the people at the doors knew that the exits were blocked and were fighting to go back, to try another escape.

"Run if you will," the white woman proclaimed loudly to the panic stricken crowd, audible over the loud noise of the movie. "There is no escape. I am Ice Heart, and I will freeze your souls!"

"We have to get out of here!" Adrien shouted, sitting up and knocking Marinette off of him. She kept her gaze firmly on Ice Heart and rolled off of him with surprising grace, landing in a crouched position ready to spring.

"All the exits are blocked," she said. "There isn't anything we can do now except wait for Chat Noir... and Ladybug."

"Yeah, but..." he struggled to think of something. "They don't know what's going on here yet. We need to find some way to let them know! And... I think I remember that there is usually an exit behind the screen in theaters. That one might be clear still. So I'll-"

"I'm on it!" Marinette interrupted. "Stay here behind the seats." And before he could protest she darted away to the end of their row, crouched and waiting for an opening to run up to the screen and look for an exit.

Ice Heart seemed to be enjoying herself now, shooting orbs of light which exploded into spiky mounds of ice everywhere. As far as Adrien could see in the darkness, nearly all of the couples in the crowd were entombed in solid ice now. Alya and Nino were cowering under the row of seats at her feet. Suddenly, an orb exploded right next to them and they were engulfed in ice.

"No!" He yelled.

Ice Heart heard and turned to look at him, a callously satisfied smirk on her face.

Adrien jumped up, leapt over the seats in front of him, and darted forward toward the stage. He could hear ice orbs exploding behind him and was nearly knocked off his feet by a burst of ice.

"Hey, Ice Heart! I thought you wanted to pick on couples! Why are you chasing boys now? Or are you looking for a new boyfriend?" At first Adrien was sure it was Marinette's voice taunting the villain. He turned back just short of the stairs leading to the screen to see. If that girl was silly enough to get herself in trouble, he would just have to run back to protect her.

But instead of Marinette, Ladybug was there, twirling her yo-yo blindingly fast and striding toward Ice Heart with calm confidence and grace. She was smiling in an amused manner that looked almost like she was preparing to enjoy herself.

Adrien felt his heart leap into his throat at the sight of her. He hastily swallowed it back down and ran up the steps to the stage and hid himself behind the red velvet curtain behind the screen.

"Alright Plagg. It's time to get this show started. Claws out!"

The little black kwami flew out of his pocket and into the ring on Adrien's right hand. Adrien felt the transformation working, strengthening his whole body, covering him with protective black leather. His eyes grew sharper, the room appeared brighter, and he could see strange colors normally out of range of human sight. Black ears appeared amidst his tousled blonde hair, and suddenly the volume of the world was turned up, he could hear the panting breaths and whispered words even of people hiding in the very back of the theater. A belt-like tail grew behind him, moving with his every thought and balancing his stance so that he could run along the narrowest ledges. And finally, at the tips of his fingers razor sharp claws appeared. The transformation was complete, he was Chat Noir, the dashing carefree prankster, the bold daredevil, superhero of Paris.

Chat looked around for the entrance Ladybug had used to get into the theater, thinking that he might be able to lead the remaining non-frozen people out to safety. But he didn't see an exit. Puzzled, he looked up and all around, but saw no way for anyone, even himself or Ladybug, to get in or out.

How did she get in here? He wondered. But he didn't have time to think about that now. He just had to find a plausible way to explain his own presence before joining in the fight.

Chat climbed up the curtain and sprinted along the dusty ledge halfway up the wall to the back of the room.

Ladybug was dancing around Ice Heart, deflecting ice orbs with her spinning yo-yo, which were flying about the theater and freezing everything they hit.

Chat made it to the mound of ice blocking the back door without anyone seeing him. He glanced around once then murmured, "cataclysm." A swirling black ball of dark power appeared in his hand and he pressed it into the mound of ice. The blackness enveloped the ice for a moment, then it disintegrated into powdery snow in front of him.

"All right, time to join the party."

Chat rushed back into the center of the theater, pulling out his metal staff to help Ladybug deflect the ice orbs flying at her.

"Sorry I'm late, M'lady! Had a little trouble getting in the door."

"Well, look what the cat dragged in! We've just been having a little discussion about movie theater etiquette."

Chat grinned. He loved it when Ladybug started joining in with his cat puns and idioms. "So, any idea where the akuma is on this one?"

"I really couldn't say," Ladybug jumped out of the way of a volley of ice orbs. "She's shooting from her fingers, though. Maybe her watch?"

"Look out!" Chat jumped in front of Ladybug and swung his staff mightily, knocking ice orbs away from Ladybug, then knocking back Ice Heart, who glared at him malevolently.

"Chat, maneuver ten!"

"Right!" Over the past couple years they had started numbering their most useful maneuvers to make coordination easier. Number one was used most often. Chat would distract their opponent and get them in position so Ladybug could disable them with her yo-yo. Number ten was a similar move.

Ladybug ran to the other side of Ice Heart. "Hey, take this!" She shouted, casting her yo-yo at the woman's face.

Chat extended his staff, and when Ice Heart raised her hand to block the blow from Ladybug's yo-yo, he brought it down on her watch hard. The glass face shattered and the woman screeched in pain. But no akuma came fluttering out.

"Darn! No luck there!" Ladybug said through gritted teeth, jumping out of the way of more ice orbs.

The room was filling with ice. The entrance was blocked again. Chat looked at his ring. The paw print showed only two pads left. He was running out of time. Having used his cataclysm power he only had minutes before he would transform back into his normal self.

"All right. I'm done playing cat and mouse here." He thought for a moment. The lady had been fondling the pendant on... "Her necklace! It's her necklace!"

Ladybug looked at him. Her eyes widened. "You're right! It has to be!"

"I'm open to ideas," Chat said, dodging more volleys of ice orbs.

Ladybug grabbed her yo-yo and tossed it into the air, shouting, "lucky charm!" The yo-yo flashed brilliant white and suddenly a large heavy wrench appeared, landing in her hands.

"What am I supposed to do with this?"

"I don't know, but whatever we do we have to do it fast." Ladybug's lucky charm power was rather mysterious. Chat suspected that there was nothing particularly special about the specific items that her yo-yo produced. The power was in her choice of what to do with them. No matter how far fetched or crazy the idea was, it always worked. She could decide to use the wrench to disassemble the chairs and build a cage with their parts, and that would probably work. Because the power was truly in unbelievable one-in-a-trillion luck.

Ladybug's eyes darted about the room and up to the ceiling.

"I've got it! Follow me, Chat." She cast her yo-yo at the back of the theater where it caught on something in the tiny projector window and pulled her up toward the ceiling. Chat extended his staff and followed her up.

"Grab hold!" Ladybug called.

Chat reached out and caught her around the waist. Ladybug disengaged the yo-yo, held tightly to Chat, and whispered into his ear, knowing that his super hearing would pick up her words even over the noise of the movie. "On my mark, drop us to the floor."

Then she kissed him on the cheek.

Chat felt like his heart had stopped. Everything was moving in slow motion. His brain wasn't even working anymore. What had she just told him? What was he supposed to be doing?

A screech of rage intruded on his mind. Ice Heart was watching them, livid. She aimed both hands at them and Chat saw the glowing ice power forming on her fingers.

"Now!" Ladybug cried.

Chat released the hold button on his staff. At the same moment Ladybug threw the heavy wrench at the sprinkler head above them, breaking it clean off. Water drenched them and sprayed over Ice Heart, freezing and trapping her arms in a growing mound of ice.

Ladybug and Chat landed side by side.

"Would you like to do the honors, Chat?" Ladybug asked, gesturing toward the necklace dangling from the struggling woman's neck.

"It would be my pleasure." He strolled up to the woman, gave her necklace a quick yank, then crushed the pendant under his heel.

Dark mist oozed from the pieces of the pendant and formed into a black butterfly, which fluttered upward, looking for an escape. Almost instantly Ladybug's yo-yo twirled around and snatched it out of the air, purifying it of darkness.

Ladybug opened her yo-yo again and the now white butterfly flitted away.

"Bye bye little butterfly," She murmured. Then she picked up the wrench and tossed it into the air, shouting, "miraculous ladybug!"

The wrench burst into light which fractured into a million shining red and pink motes. They zoomed about the room like a thick swarm of magical insects, and in its wake everything was set right again. The ice vanished. The frozen victims were warm and dry. The mess was cleaned up. And the woman was transformed back into her normal self again, complete with an unbroken necklace at her feet.

"Pound it!" Ladybug grinned, holding out her fist.

Chat just smirked at her. "Wouldn't you rather give me another kiss instead, Bugaboo?"

Ladybug laughed. "Silly kitty. I had to do that to get her really mad. It was the only way to make sure she would use both hands on us. Didn't you notice she was mostly attacking couples?"

"Well, yeah, but-"

"Chat! Your ring!"

Chat looked down. The last pad on his ring was flashing. He had a matter of seconds. "Yikes! Gotta run!" And he made a mad dash out of the theater, through the now-deserted lobby, and into the men's bathroom, which was mercifully empty.

The last pad on his ring flashed once more and vanished. Everything that made him Chat Noir, the suit, the tail, the mask the ears, the enhanced strength, agility, and eyesight, dissolved and was reabsorbed into his ring, which now shone like bright platinum.

Plagg zoomed out of the ring and Adrien reached out to catch the little kwami, who was fainting with hunger again.

"Twice in one day! This is getting ridiculous!" Plagg complained.

"Well, it's not the first time. But I do wish we could get a break. Here..." Adrien tucked Plagg into the pocket where he'd stashed the cheese earlier. "I'd better get back in there or they're going to wonder where I went."

Adrien strolled back to the darkened theater. The movie was still playing, but naturally nobody was watching it. Most of the people were gathered together in a large group near the aisle, talking animatedly. Some people were collecting their things, preparing to leave. Ladybug was nowhere in sight.

Of course. She had used her Lucky Charm. She would have to leave in a hurry, just like he did.

"Adrien!" Nino called from their seats. He and Alya and Marinette were already starting to make their way toward the aisle.

Adrien waited for them by the door, using the few moments of peace to think through what he was going to tell them. Last anyone saw, he was running to the stage. Then he just appeared coming through the back door. How was he going to explain that? Well, the theater was pretty dark and noisy. That might make a good alibi.

"C'mon, let's get out of here," Alya said over the noise of an action scene as the group reached him. He nodded in agreement and opened the door for them.

Out in the lobby it was much quieter, but people were starting to stream out of the theater now.

"Wow, that was unbelievable!" Alya exclaimed.

"Are you two okay?" Adrien asked, "I saw you get frozen!"

"We're okay now," Nino assured him.

"At the time it was pretty awful, though." Alya said grimacing.

"Was it?"

"Seriously! Imagine jumping into ice water, and having a brain freeze, and being smothered all at the same time." Nino shivered at the memory. "I was glad when I finally blacked out."

Adrien didn't know how to respond to this. Every time an akumatized villain came along, it wreaked destruction. But, whether being flown away in bubbles, turned into a zombie, or trapped in a photograph, the villains never directly did anything that would kill people before. But that's exactly what it sounded like Nino was describing.

Next to him, Marinette was staring at them with wide, horrified eyes. Like she was thinking the same thing.

"Marinette," Adrien said. Her eyes flashed to him. "You really saved me in there. If you hadn't knocked me down, I might have gotten frozen, too!"

"Oh, I don't know. I think I overreacted." She giggled and blushed. "She was only aiming for couples, you know."

"Well, we were together, weren't we?" He shrugged.

Marinette blushed deeper, but her jaw seemed to lock shut. So she just nodded, smiling, and shrugged.

"What do you mean she was only aiming for couples?" Alya demanded. "How could you notice something like that in all that chaos?"

"Well, I was watching her before it all started," Marinette told her. "She was holding her necklace and kept looking at the back of the room. When she finally saw that couple in the back she started crying. That's when she transformed. So she must have been mad. Maybe it was her boyfriend with another girl or something."

Adrien did a double take. Had Marinette really noticed all of that? The girl was shockingly observant.

"So, um, Adrien. What happened to you? I saw you running for the stage." Marinette asked casually. But Adrien thought he perceived real burning curiosity in her bluebell eyes. Fortunately, he was prepared for this question.

"Well, after she froze you two," he nodded toward Alya and Nino, "she went after me. So I ran for the stage. I thought there might be an emergency exit behind the screen. But when I got there, I couldn't find one. By that time, Ladybug had arrived. Ice was exploding everywhere, so I did my best to hide behind the seats. Somehow I made it to the back of the room when Chat Noir showed up. He made disintegrated the ice blocking the back door and ran in. I came out here to tell the workers what was going on, but I couldn't find anyone. So I went back to the door, thinking I might help people escape. But by that time it had frozen over again. Honestly, I was kind of panicked and didn't know what to do." He shrugged, looking embarrassed. "I sort of just pounded on the ice for a few minutes, then everything went back to normal."

Then a thought occurred to him. "How did Ladybug get in?"

Alya and Nino shrugged. "We were frozen before she showed up," Alya said.

"I didn't see, either." Marinette said. "I was...um... hiding behind the curtain the whole time."

Again, Adrien did a double take, this time full of suspicion. Marinette claimed she had been hiding behind the curtain, the same place where he went to transform into Chat Noir. There were only two possibilities. Either he hadn't noticed her there and had transformed right next to her. Or she was lying. But why would she lie?

"Well, I think it's safe to say that this movie is a bust for now. How about we go do something else?" Alya asked.

"Sure, you all can ride with me," Adrien offered. "Want to go get some ice cream?" All the activity had warmed him up and made him hungry, a cold treat sounded good.

"NO!" Alya and Nino shouted in unison.

Marinette and Adrien stared at them for a second, shocked. Then they all laughed together.


	4. Chapter 4

After the akuma attack at the theater, the rest of the evening went pleasantly enough. Adrien had The Gorilla drive them all to a coffee shop where Nino and Alya ordered hot drinks and Adrien and Marinette enjoyed large iced coffees. Adrien found himself eyeing Marinette occasionally. Niggling little suspicions kept trying to surface in his mind. But he wasn't prepared to really dwell on them, so he pushed them back and did his best to join in the conversation and simply enjoy the company of his friends.

When it started getting a bit late, Adrien had The Gorilla drive his friends home before returning to his own house at the top of the hill. He went straight to his room and collapsed on his bed on top of the covers, fully clothed. He would get up soon, he told himself. He needed to shower again at least. But as he lay there his mind once again started turning over the many things that had happened that day which didn't seem to add up. Strange, suspicious things revolving around Marinette flitted mercilessly through his mind. Or... maybe they did add up, but he was subconsciously resisting the connection. Like his brain was screaming "two plus two!" But he refused to answer "four."

Marinette had claimed that she'd been hiding behind the curtain. But she couldn't have been. He definitely would have noticed her there. Even if he'd missed seeing her as Adrien, once he'd made the transformation to Chat Noir he would have seen or heard her easily. Even though the theater had been roaring with the sounds of the movie and people screaming and crying, he had easily heard the tiniest noises from the back of the room. He would have heard her breathing next to or behind him. She hadn't been there. That was certain. So she had definitely been lying about that, but why?

And she'd said that she hadn't seen Ladybug come in to the theater. But the last time he'd seen Marinette, she had been preparing to make a dash for the stage at the end of their row of seats. And when he'd seen Ladybug, mere moments later, the heroine had been standing a few feet away from where Marinette had been. This was slightly more plausible. But still highly suspect.

Adrien's heart started to pound faster in his chest as the pieces started falling into place.

How had Ladybug gotten into the theater in the first place? All the entrances had been iced over. All of them! He couldn't have gotten in without his cataclysm if he had been outside. So the only explanation was that Ladybug had already been in the theater before the entrances had been blocked.

And, to top it all off, when he had been with Ms. Mendeliev after school, she had complained that Marinette skipped out of classes too much. Just like he did.

Just like him.

Adrien stood up and began pacing the room. It couldn't be! It just...couldn't! Could it?

Marinette was sweet, shy, clumsy and easily flustered. Ladybug was graceful, heroic, confident, and eloquent of speech. They were so different!

And yet, not so different after all were they? When the villain appeared in the theater, Adrien had seen a very different side of Marinette. One which, even more than her uncanny likeness to the superheroine, reminded him of Ladybug.

"You look like you're going to be sick, kid." Plagg chimed from his seat on Adrien's dresser.

"Plagg... I... I think I might know who Ladybug is. But I shouldn't know. And it even seems ridiculous to me. But it isn't, really, is it? How could it be, though? All this time, right in front of me, and I didn't even know! But how could I not know? And it can't be. But it has to be! It all adds up!"

"Whoa, kid! Take a breath!"

"You know who she is, though, don't you? That time we were fighting Dark Owl. You saw her when we had to transform with our eyes closed! Am I crazy? Am I totally out of my mind? Or is it her?"

Plagg looked hesitant and nervous for a second. Then took a breath and folded his little arms. "Tikki thinks it's a bad idea for you two to know each other's real identities. But I don't see what the big deal is. I mean, as long as no one else finds out, it can't hurt."

"So I'm right? I am right, aren't I?" Adrien sat heavily on the edge of his bed and ran his hands through his hair, still fighting the incredible truth in his mind.

"Oh you're right, of course. If you're talking about who I think you're talking about. I mean, I think it's pretty obvious, honestly. Or it should be for you anyway. Especially after today."

"Marinette is Ladybug..." Saying it out loud, with Plagg looking at him, patiently waiting for the truth to sink in completely, made it feel so much more real. "Do you think she knows who I am?"

"Not a chance." Plagg assured him easily. "She's totally comfortable with Chat Noir. But she can barely overcome her crush on you as Adrien enough to speak coherent sentences."

For a moment, Adrien had the distinct sensation that he was falling through the floor. He gasped, eyes wide, and his mouth went rather dry. "Marinette has a crush on me," he murmured, barely over a whisper.

"Well yeah," Plagg said, rolling his eyes dramatically at the obviousness.

"Marinette is Ladybug."

"Pretty sure we've established that already."

"Ladybug... has a crush on me."

"Well, to be honest. I'd say it's more than a crush."

"What do you mean?" Adrien whipped around to stare directly at Plagg, who cringed under the scrutiny as though regretting he'd said anything.

"Well, I've had a few conversations with Tikki. You know, since Dark Owl we've known where to find one another. Marinette has liked you ever since your first day at school, when you let her borrow your umbrella. And it isn't because you're a model, or because your father has money, or because you're popular. Tikki thinks... well, that Marinette is really in love with you... But I'm really not sure I should be telling you this." His eyes shifted nervously.

"But she doesn't like me as Chat! How could she love me as Adrien, but dismiss me when I'm Chat?" Adrien demanded.

"How did I get roped into this?" Plagg groaned. "Look, you don't exactly act like yourself when you're Chat, do you? Just like she doesn't act like herself when she's around you, right?"

Adrien sat silently, absorbing this revelation for a long time.

Eventually the cogs in his brain seemed to finally mesh together and coherent thoughts started surfacing again. Questions floated around in his head with no clear answers available. What should he do? Should he tell Ladybug that he figured out her identity? Should he reveal himself? Should he try acting more like himself as Chat, stop showing off, and making horrible puns, and flirting outrageously? Well, maybe he could at least keep making puns... that was almost the best part of being Chat Noir.

He would have to tell her, he decided finally. At least as Chat, he would have to tell Ladybug that he had figured it out. He would be meeting her tomorrow evening anyway for their weekly rendezvous to catch up with one another. And then he could give her the choice... but he knew already what the answer would be. She wouldn't want him to reveal his identity to her, not even if he already knew who she was.

He sighed and fell back on his bed. If she loved Adrien, wouldn't she want to know that he was really Chat Noir? She might not care to know Chat's identity if he was some random guy. But she would certainly want to know if Adrien had a secret superhero alternate persona."Ugh, I'm going to go take a shower," Adrien groaned, unable to make any further progress on the dilemma.

"Suit yourself," Plagg called nonchalantly, settling down at the plate of cheese and crackers left out for Adrien.

The shower did little to help clear Adrien's mind. When he was done, he found that his appetite still had not returned. He went straight to bed. But for a long time even sleep eluded him. He tossed and turned. And when he finally did fall asleep his dreams were haunted with images of bluebell eyes, sometimes framed in a sweet face with delicate freckles, sometimes framed in a red mask with black spots.

When he woke the next morning having barely slept at all, Adrien was a nervous wreck. He didn't know how he would act around Marinette at school, now that he knew she was Ladybug. Plagg assured him that he should just be himself, as usual.

"Easy for you to say!" Adrien grumbled.

He forced down some breakfast cereal, more because he knew he needed to eat than because of hunger. He climbed into his father's car as usual, but during the entire ride to school he couldn't seem to keep from bouncing his legs or tapping his fingers.

"Are you okay, Adrien?" Nathalie asked from the front seat, with some concern.

"Yeah, fine. I'm fine," he assured her. But she didn't seem to buy it.

They arrived at the school and Nino met him as usual as soon as he got out of the car.

"What's up, Adrien?"

"Hi, Nino." Adrien looked around nervously for any sign of Marinette and Alya.

"You okay, dude?"

"Yeah, fine. Totally fine. Nothing wrong at all. Let's go inside."

Nino watched him skeptically the whole way to their literature class. They sat in their seats in the front row, but Alya and Marinette hadn't arrived yet.

Adrien did his best to try to calm down. He knew he had to act normally around her. But his mind was still racing through all the implications of what he had discovered. Marinette loved him. And Marinette was Ladybug! Ladybug secretly loved him! Did that mean she ached to kiss him as much as he wanted to kiss her? Did she dream about him as he dreamed about her? Did she fantasize about him?

The room suddenly felt far too warm. And just then the door opened in front of him and Alya and Marinette walked in.

He couldn't help it. His eyes went right to Marinette's face, imagining it with a red mask. He looked at her shining black hair, exactly as it always had been, and exactly like Ladybug's. He gazed into her bright blue eyes, which gazed back into his, wide in amazement.

Marinette tripped over the bottom step leading up to her desk and fell to the ground, spilling the contents of her book bag everywhere.

Adrien jumped up. "Are you all right? Here, let me..." he helped her pick up her things and stuff them back into her bag.

"Yeah, fine! I'm fine. Totally fine!" She stammered, making Adrien chuckle. She sounded exactly like he had that morning.

Marinette clambered into her seat behind him and Adrien sat down, smiling.

Nino was staring at him, and glanced back at Alya, who was looking between Nino and Adrien with wide eyes.

That entire class Adrien barely heard anything Miss Bustier said. If his teacher noticed his absentmindedness, she didn't bother calling him out. She knew him well enough by now that she didn't expect to catch him unable to answer her questions.

He could almost feel Marinette's gaze on the back of his head. He itched to turn around and look at her, too. He had no idea what he would say if he did. He would probably just stare at her like an idiot again. Hidden under the desk, his fingers tapped a rapid rhythm on his knee, counting down the seconds until break time.

When the class finally ended, Adrien grabbed his bag and was about to turn around to see Marinette when Nino grabbed him by the arm and pulled him out into the hallway.

"Spill it, dude! What is going on with you and Marinette?"

"W-What? I don't know what you're talking about."

"Don't play dumb with me. I saw how you looked at her when she came in. And you've been acting all funny since the movie yesterday."

"I, um, well..."

"Do you like her all of a sudden?" Nino's eyes narrowed, scrutinizing Adrien's face.

Considering how complicated the situation really was, that was a surprisingly accurate description of what was going on. Adrien gulped, then nodded shyly.

"Dude! That's awesome! You should totally ask her out! She'll definitely say yes."

"Wait, isn't this what I told you when you had a crush on her a few years ago?"

Nino laughed, "This is different. Trust me. I can talk to Alya if you want. She can totally hook you up, bro!"

"Thanks. I think I can handle it on my own, though."

"Okay but," the classroom door opened again and their classmates started pouring out. Nino leaned in to whisper in Adrien's ear. "PLEASE don't make me promise to keep it a secret from Alya. You know how she is!"

Adrien sighed. "Fine. She's probably already figured it out anyway."

Alya and Marinette emerged from the classroom. Adrien tried his hardest to keep up normal conversation. But his eyes kept getting drawn to Marinette's face, like she was a magnet. She was every bit as flustered around him as she usually was. But now he understood the cause. And he knew that underneath her nerves she was everything he loved about Ladybug, brilliant, confident, noble and courageous.

As the day progressed his mind seemed to settle more comfortably in to this new reality, and Adrien started formulating a plan. If he had unwillingly worked out who she was, who is to say that she couldn't figure out who he was, whether she wanted to or not? He could arrange it himself. He wouldn't do anything obvious, like transforming in front of her. But he could "accidentally" drop hints. She was clever, she would definitely work it out on her own.

And it was like Plagg had said. What was the big deal? As long as no one else knew who they were, it wouldn't hurt. In his euphoria he could only think of a multitude of wonderful, glorious consequences of Marinette learning that he was Chat Noir.

He closed his eyes and smiled, imagining a few of those consequences in careful detail.

"And what are you grinning about?"

Adrien opened his eyes and looked up. He was sitting on a bench in the park, having finished his lunch early. Alya stood over him, smiling down at him with her hands on her hips. He chuckled at her. "I'm guessing Nino must have already told you."

"You guessed right, lover boy. So are you going to ask her out, or what?"

"Well, how do I know she'd say yes?"

Alya rolled her eyes dramatically. "Nuh uh. I don't spill my friend's secrets like that. Not even when those secrets are PAINFULLY OBVIOUS to anyone who has two brain cells!"

Adrien laughed. "You're a good friend, Alya."

"You know, you about gave her a heart attack, staring at her like that this morning. And then all day today, you keep looking at her, like... like..." she waved her hands, seemingly at a loss for words.

"Like I'm just seeing her for the first time... it's true. I don't think I ever really saw her before. Not really..." His mind was wandering. His voice took on a dreamy sort of quality. He realized that this is what he wanted from her. And for her. He wanted Marinette to see Chat Noir for the first time. To really see him the way he now could see Marinette, through the mask. He wanted her to want Adrien to be Chat Noir.

"Hello! Earth to Adrien! Boy, you've got it bad!"

"Right, well. I think I will ask her out..."

"YES!"

"But not just yet."

"WHAT?!"

"There are a few things I want to finish first."

"B-But. What could you possibly need to...?"

"It's a secret. And I know I can count on you to help me keep a secret, right?" He stood up, winked at Alya, and started walking back toward the school with a slight spring in his step.

The light of the evening sun caressed the buildings below, glinting off of the thousands of windows like so many golden diamonds. The Seine shone like it was on fire. The orange-red sky in the west was giving off its last sigh of light before nightfall. And in the eastern sky, Venus shone low and solitary in the darkening blue.

Chat Noir raced over the rooftops toward the rendezvous point he and Ladybug had established for weekly meetings. His heart was racing, though not from exertion. This would be the first time he'd see her since the theater. The first time seeing her with the knowledge that she was Marinette, and in love with him... or at least in love with Adrien Agreste.

He dropped lightly onto the Musée d'Orsay. Ladybug was already there, sitting with her back against a wall on the roof and waiting for him.

Normally, Chat would have greeted her with something cheeky and flirty like "Good evening, Bugaboo," or some nonsense like that. But she had fallen in love with Adrien. So he was determined to act like his normal self...as much as realistically possible.

"Hello, Ladybug," he greeted casually, and strode over and sat next to her.

"Hi, Chat. Been having a good week?"

He couldn't resist grinning broadly at this. His face just did it without his permission. "Yeah," he laughed. "Pretty good. How about you?"

"Good. That's good. I'm glad." She replied distractedly, and brought her knees up to her chin, hugging her legs, and stared off into the sunset behind the Eiffel Tower.

"Are you okay?"

"Hm? Yeah, I'm fine. Oh, yeah, we should get started." She dropped her knees and sat up straight. "I didn't find out anything much new this week about Hawkmoth. But did you notice anything new about the akumatized victim in the theater? Because I did."

"You mean how by freezing her victims she could have killed them?"

Ladybug shook her head. "I think that she did kill them."

Chat's eyes widened in horror. "What? You don't mean that."

"Why not? It wouldn't be the first time my miraculous has brought back the dead. People crushed by falling buildings, or stomped on by giants, or poisoned or drowned accidentally... it's happened before. But this time, the victim was directly murdering people!"

"Your miraculous can bring back the dead? I never realized..."

"Only if they died because of an akuma attack. But that isn't the point. I think Hawkmoth is getting more desperate. Or, maybe he was just in a particularly bad mood. I don't know. But it's concerning to me."

"Me, too." Chat sighed. "If this is a sign that our enemies are going to get more dangerous, we're going to have to find ways to adapt."

Ladybug nodded. "I don't have any ideas right now. But it is something to think about."

Chat grunted in agreement, they sat together in silence for a while. The sky darkened further. Street lights started flickering to life below them. The western sky deepened to a smoldering red. Ladybug seemed lost in melancholy thoughts once more. Then she snapped out of it.

"So what about you, Chat? You said you had a good week. Did you figure out anything new?"

Chat grinned again. He just couldn't help it. "Yeah actually. I did."

Ladybug smiled at him. "Well whatever it is, it must be good news. And I could do with some good news today."

Chat very much wanted to tease her. And he wanted to gloat and show off. And he wanted to make all kinds of cat puns. And he wanted to grab her and kiss her soundly. She loves Adrien! He reminded himself.

He stood up, his grin softening into a warm smile, and offered her his hand. She took it somewhat suspiciously and he helped her up.

"Honestly, I'm not sure if you are going to consider it good news or not. But I really can't help being happy about it. It's not like I meant for it to happen either. And it can't be helped at this point anyway, so..."

"What, Chat? Will you just tell me already? Or do I have to guess?"

"Okay, okay. Here goes nothing." He took a steadying breath, then he leaned in close to her ear, her hair lightly tickling his cheek smelled of fresh bread. How had he never noticed that before? He whispered softly, "I discovered who you really are."

Her small gasp was the only indication that she'd heard him. Chat stepped back and released her hand. Ladybug stood frozen in place, mouth open and eyes wide.

"Cat's out of the bag," he said with a nervous chuckle and a shrug. He really couldn't resist the cat jokes.


	5. Chapter 5

"What? What do you mean?" Ladybug asked, breathlessly.

Chat looked down at her and saw the alarm written on her face. He refused to tease her or make light of the situation, as he might normally. He had to be himself. He was Adrien Agreste. And Adrien would not tease Marinette when she was in distress.

"After the theater yesterday I eventually went home. But I couldn't stop thinking about some things I'd noticed about you. I wasn't trying to figure it out, really I wasn't. I was actually trying not to think about it. But it just sort of... happened anyway. And when it did, I guess I reacted a bit strongly. And Plagg—I think he was getting a bit irritated with me—he told me that I'd guessed right. I think mostly he was trying to get me to shut up." He chuckled nervously again.

"But...But no! You can't have! You don't even know me... the real me, I mean. So Plagg must have been lying!" Marinette exclaimed desperately, "I mean, he was doing it to protect my real identity. He had good intentions, of course. You don't really know; you can't know."

Chat took a deep breath and leaned in close to whisper into her ear once again. He didn't know why he felt the inclination to whisper up there on the roof of the museum, where nobody could possibly overhear them. But it felt more private. And anyway, he ached to be nearer to her.

"I know who you are, Marinette Dupain-Cheng," he murmured, close enough that his lips lightly grazed her ear.

She made a noise like a choking gasp.

"It's okay, though! It will be okay. I promise." Chat said, moving back a bit, grabbing her shoulders reassuringly, and looking into her eyes. "I will never tell anybody without your permission. And I will protect your identity with my life if need be." He put one clawed hand solemnly over his heart. "Chat's honor."

"No! No, no, no, no, no! This is impossible! You idiot! How could this have happened? Do you know what this means?!"

"Do _you?_ " He asked, calmly.

"Well.." Ladybug spluttered and waved her hands wildly. "It... it can't be good! Nobody is supposed to know who we are! You know that!"

"Yeah, but Master Fu knows who we are. Our kwamis know who we are... And I'm not saying we should go around telling anybody we think we can trust!" He added, hastily when she looked about to explode again. "I'm just saying... maybe it isn't the end of the world? Neither of us has ever been akumatized. And, honestly," he paused, lowered his voice and spoke softly, "I don't think I ever could betray you, no matter how angry or upset I was."

This seemed to crack through the shell of Ladybug's fear-fueled rage. She covered her face with her fists and crumpled back into a seated position. "Chat... I just... I can't believe it! How could this have happened? Have we ever even met in our regular lives? I can't believe you figured it out! It's just such a shock!"

Chat laughed and sighed, relieved that she seemed to be calming down. "It was a shock to me, too. Believe me! I'm not sure if I slept at all last night!"

Ladybug eyed him suspiciously and he smiled at her.

She was quiet for a while, and he gave her space, remembering how his own mind had seemed to stop working the previous night. Eventually, she shifted and looked at him again. "So... do you know me?" She asked. "I mean, you know, the regular me?"

Chat smiled and winked at her. "Remember Evillustrator?" He chuckled and put on a fake Ladybug voice. "'Look at this girl, Chat. Her name is Marinette. Cute isn't she? You need to protect her while I'm on a secret mission!'" He laughed some more, and this time Ladybug joined in tentatively.

"So, that was your first time meeting me...as... _as Marinette?"_ She whispered her name like she was afraid someone might hear her.

Chat eyed her inquisitively. "Are you fishing for clues now? Are you trying to figure out who I am, too?"

She blushed. "Um... no, of course not!"

Chat stared at her a moment longer. He'd made her blush! He had never seen her blush as Ladybug before! "Good," he purred, grinning.

Ladybug looked uncertain. "I'm not sure that I like the idea of you knowing who I am while I'm left clueless. Knowing you, you'll probably be getting a kick out of teasing me somehow. Or trying to flirt with me. But it is better, safer anyway, to keep it a secret."

Chat sighed. "I promise I won't... or at least I'll try _really_ hard not to tease you. And," he grinned, "I'll only flirt with you if you flirt with me first." He eyed her slyly out of the corner of his eye.

"Ha! Like that's going to happen!" She scoffed.

Chat shrugged, unperturbed, and ran a hand through his tousled blonde hair. "You never know. Anything is possible. But it's starting to get late now," he said, noting how dark the sky had grown. "We'd better get home. Unless there's anything else you want to tell me."

"Um, no. But, look Chat, we aren't finished with this. I mean, there are so many implications, or at least I'm sure there are...and we need to work it out somehow."

Chat laughed and Ladybug scowled at him reproachfully.

"I'm not laughing at you, I swear!" Chat chuckled, trying to get himself under control. "It's just... I've been thinking about almost nothing except what the implications might be since last night. I've barely been able to function because I've been thinking about it so much. Everyone thinks I'm going crazy!"

Ladybug giggled in spite of herself.

"I really do need to be getting back, though," he said. "I know there's probably a lot more we need to talk about regarding this, um, development. But if I stay any longer I'm going to have to answer some very difficult questions when I get home."

"All right then, Chat. I'll see you later. We _will_ talk about this more. Next week."

Chat bowed low, "Absolutely M'lady. I will _definitely_ be seeing you later." He turned to leave, but looked back at her over his shoulder. Ladybug was watching him with a slightly mystified expression. He shot her a crooked grin, a genuine one without even a trace of mischief. Then he planted his metallic staff on the roof and extended it, vaulting over the dark rooftops of Paris toward his home.

Watching him leave, Ladybug felt full of conflicting emotions. She was frightened that Chat had figured out who she was. She instinctively knew that it was very dangerous, whatever Chat said. They would somehow have to figure out more precautions to take. But she couldn't imagine what those precautions should be. And not knowing made it all the more frightening.

Still, the risk involved with Chat knowing her true identity was an afterthought in her mind right now. Completely eclipsing the problem of Chat's unfortunate discovery was the fact the he had been so... un-Chat-like this evening. He'd been genuine, and down to earth. When he'd whispered her real name to her, tickling her ear, his closeness had sent shivers down her spine. And, that parting crooked grin... why did her knees suddenly feel so weak?

"Don't be an idiot," she whispered to herself. But she couldn't deny it. Suddenly she really, really, wanted to know who was behind that black mask.

—

Chat soared over the streets of Paris through the gathering darkness, vaulting over tall buildings with his staff and sprinting along rooftops. In next to no time he landed on the dark balcony outside his own bedroom window. "Claws in," he said, and seconds later Adrien Agreste stood on the balcony, accompanied by his tiny hovering kwami.

"Well, that could have gone a lot worse." Plagg said. "At lest she didn't attack you."

"No, you're right. I think it actually went really well. She was scared, and angry, and maybe a little embarrassed. But... Did you see her blush?"

"Did she? I didn't notice." Plagg said, sounding utterly bored. "C'mon. Let's go in and eat some supper."

Adrien opened the door, entered his darkened room, and turned on the lights. "She was fishing for information, too! She wanted to know if we know each other in our regular lives!"

"Uh huh," Plagg was clearly more interested in looking for food.

"I didn't tell her, but I think she'll be able to figure it out on her own from what I did say. I kind of made it obvious that we know one another, I think. That should put the first piece of the puzzle in place."

"You're rambling. C'mon, let's get our food!"

"Now the next step is to find something good for a date with Marinette, something I can invite her to now, but we'll have to wait to go to..."

"Why are you monologuing like a supervillain with a master plan? I'm hungry!" Plagg squeaked, petulantly.

"All right, all right. Sorry, Plagg."

Adrien started walking toward the intercom to call for his meal from the kitchen. But then he noticed a covered dish of food already waiting for him on the low table by the television. Adrien gulped nervously, wondering who had delivered it and whether they would tell his father he hadn't been in his room to receive it.

He lifted the cover and found a plate of confit de canard and potatoes. It was still hot and smelled delicious. Next to it sat a large wedge of baked brie, a loaf of bread, and blueberry preserves.

"Ah!" Plagg sighed. "They know us so well!"

Adrien and Plagg dove into their meal with gusto. Adrien was surprised at how hungry he was. Having finally confessed to Ladybug had taken a small portion of weight off of his mind, and his appetite seemed to have returned in full force.

About ten minutes into their meal, Plagg looked up at the door suddenly, his ears twitching. He dropped his piece of cheese and darted into Adrien's pocket.

"Huh—?" Adrien began.

"Shhh!"

There was a knock at the door.

"Yes?" He called.

The door opened and Nathalie entered, looking somewhat subdued. "Your father wishes to speak with you," she announced.

"Um... okay." He stood and followed her warily out into the long hallway. A summons from his father was rarely, if ever, a good thing. And, with a sinking feeling, Adrien wondered if his father knew he'd been away from his room. His mind raced with excuses he might try. None of them sounded very convincing.

Nathalie led him through the vast house, past empty rooms and through silent corridors, to his father's study. She opened the door for him and Adrien nervously entered before her.

His father's study was dimly lit by a single lamp on the formidable desk at the opposite end of the room. And behind the desk, seated in his black leather chair and wearing an expression of extreme gravity, Adrien's father was giving him his full and undivided attention. "Thank you Nathalie. You may leave us."

Adrien heard the dull click of the heavy oak door closing behind him. His father was silent for a moment, as though gathering his thoughts. "You disobeyed me, Adrien," he said finally.

"No... listen..." Adrien pleaded.

"I told you that you were not to go to that movie with your friends. And yet I find—"

"What?" His mind raced. His father wasn't talking about Adrien's absence from his room that evening. He was talking about the movie! "But... But you said I had to go to fencing practice. And I did go! But Mr. D'Argencourt cancelled the lesson because he hurt his ankle."

"Then you should have come _home!_ " His father snapped.

"Why? I didn't have anything else to do! I'd already finished my homework!"

"Because of this!" His father roared, slapping a daily newspaper on the desk. The headline was about the akuma attack in the theater. It looked like there had been plenty of eyewitnesses ready to give their accounts of what had happened. "You could have been hurt! You could have died! What if that ice woman had frozen you to death!?"

"I... I suppose that Ladybug would have restored me, just like everyone else."

"What? Do you think that this some kind of a game? These... these superheroes cannot possibly win every single time. One of these days, they are bound to make a mistake. And I refuse to let you be there when that happens!"

"Are you saying that I'm not allowed to leave the house anymore?" Adrien demanded, his fists clenched at his sides.

His father sighed, exasperated, "No, I'm not saying that. But I want to know where you are. I want to know that you are where I expect you to be!"

"I understand. I'm sorry that you were frightened for me." Adrien retorted icily, thinking to himself that his father was probably only upset because he hadn't been in absolute control of every aspect of his son's life.

Gabriel Agreste sat down and rubbed his forehead as though to relieve a headache. "Adrien... You may go now. Just remember that you have fencing again tomorrow. And I expect you to be there."

"Of course, father." Adrien turned and left immediately.

 _He remembers my fencing, Chinese, and photoshoot schedule easily enough. But I doubt he even remembers that my birthday is next week,_ he thought, bitterly.

When Adrien returned to his room Plagg flitted back over to their meal to continue devouring the brie left for them.

"Don't eat all of that cheese, Plagg, let's save some for an emergency. I don't like having to steal from the kitchen." Adrien said, irritably.

"Oh, all right." The kwami grumbled.

"Why does he have to be this way? Why can't he be like a normal father? He says he loves me, but he never actually takes the time to get to know me! He wants me to go to school and learn Chinese and fencing... but he's always trying to keep me shut inside the house. It's like... like he wants me to be alive, but he doesn't want me to live!" Adrien stormed over to the sofa and sat down with his head in his hands. "What are we going to do?"

"I don't know. But if your father thinks you're going to stay cooped up in the house, or exactly where you're supposed to be, he's in for some major disappointment."

"Plagg... what do you think of us moving out of here?"

"Hey, now that's an idea! We can get our own place, buy a nice big TV, have a few parties, and really loosen up!"

"That isn't what I mean," Adrien said, heavily. "My father has been tightening his grip on me. You can see that. It's getting harder and harder to sneak away without him knowing. I don't think it will be much longer before he really starts putting the pieces together and figures out that I'm Chat Noir."

"Yeah, I see what you mean." Plagg said, looking back and forth between the last couple pieces of brie, trying to decide which he wanted to eat and which he wanted to save for later.

"And my birthday is next week..."

"Um... happy birthday?"

"No, Plagg, what I mean is once I'm eighteen I'll be legally an adult. If I want to move out, my father won't be able to stop me."

"I could be wrong about this, but don't you need money for that?"

"Yes, and I have money, Plagg. Lots of it. All those modeling jobs I've done over the years... My father put all the money I earned into a trust fund. Once I turn eighteen, the trust gets turned over to me. I'll just need to figure out how to access it."

Plagg floated over to Adrien and looked him in the eyes, seeming to take him seriously for once. "You know what? I actually do think moving out might be a good idea."

Adrien nodded. "It will be difficult. My father really won't like the idea. He might even try to stop me somehow. So I'll need to be completely ready to go by the time I tell him. And I think I have an idea of where to get started."

—

Nino was just finishing up brushing his teeth when he heard the tinny sound of the new Jagged Stone hit single playing from his backpack: his ringtone. He rinsed his mouth quickly and rushed to answer his phone.

"Hey, Adrien! What's up, my man? Need a little help asking Marinette out?"

"Hi Nino," Adrien chuckled, "Maybe I do, but that's not what I'm calling about. Remember how you were telling me you wanted to move into a place in the city? Well **,** what if we got an apartment together and shared the cost?"

"Wait, what? Really? Dude, I am totally up for that!"

"I don't want to leave the city either. But my father is starting to get a little bit... overbearing, so I need to get my own place. I think we can help each other out."

"Yeah! I've been looking around for a while for a decent place. I can shoot you an email of what I've found so far. They're all kind of expensive, but if we split the cost it shouldn't be too bad. Hey, are you looking at getting a job?"

"I should already have a lot of money saved from all the modeling I've done. When I turn eighteen, if my father doesn't want to renew my contract... I'm sure I can figure something else out."

"And what about going on to a university? If you're thinking about that, we can try to find something near campus for you."

This was the most articulate and thoughtful Adrien had ever heard Nino before. Usually he seemed to be all about fun, games, joking, and music. But he was really putting serious effort into this plan.

"Well, I did have in mind ENS for a degree in literature. But, honestly Nino, I'm not sure I'll be able to afford it on my own. I have a strong suspicion that my father will do whatever he can to try to make me stay here with him, even if that means withholding funds for education."

"If that happens you could always apply for a scholarship. Or you could just go to a public university."

"You're right, Nino," Adrien said, bolstered by his friend's optimism. "I'm sure I can work it out somehow."

"This is so awesome! It's going to be great, bro! You and me in a bachelor pad! So, now for some serious business. When are you going to ask Marinette out?"

"Right," Adrien rolled his eyes, "Well, I want to take her to something amazing that will be really meaningful to her. I just haven't thought of what that should be yet."

"That's obvious, isn't it?" Nino asked.

"Well, I know she likes Jagged Stone. But we've already been to one of his concerts together, even though that wasn't a date, and he's gone on tour now anyway."

"No, I mean she likes designing things. She likes art, and clothes. You've seen her carrying around her design book everywhere. And in case you forgot, you, Adrien, are a famous model!"

"Something to do with my modeling?" Adrien mused. "Hey, you're right! My father is hosting a big haute couture show at the end of June to showcase his new fall line. I would have to leave her alone for some of it, because I'm actually slated to be in the show. But I think she would love it!" Then he added, thoughtfully, "I'd better get the tickets right away, before my father is too angry with me to let me have them."

"Dude, are you really going to make her wait a whole month to...?" Nino asked, uncertainly.

"I'll ask her tomorrow to go with me, you can tell that to Alya if she's pestering you for information," Adrien promised.

"All right. Good. We're going to hold you to that, you know!"

"Don't worry, Nino. I've never wanted to do anything more in my whole life than ask Marinette out."

"Wow, man. Really, what happened to you? I mean, I know Marinette is cute and sweet and all. But why are you so crazy about her all of a sudden?"

"I can't exactly explain it," Adrien confessed, truthfully enough. "It's sort of... not really like I've suddenly fallen for her. It's more like I've already been in love with her for years and only just realized it."

Nino seemed to think about that for a moment. "Dude, that is seriously deep."


	6. Chapter 6

The next morning Adrien woke early to check his email. Sure enough, Nino had sent him links to several small apartments throughout the city. Adrien glanced at the price margin and frowned. They were all between €800 and €1500. And, on top of that, they were all single room lofts. How would either of them have any privacy living in one room together? Maybe Nino wouldn't care too much. But Adrien counted on the ability to talk with Plagg at least sometimes when he was at home. He would just have to do a search himself, and also talk with Nino about how much they were each prepared to spend on rent, food and other fees.

He ran a few quick searches through real estate websites to see what else was available. The ideal place, he thought, would have two bedrooms and a balcony. He needed the balcony for making quick escapes and discreet returns as Chat Noir, it wouldn't do to have to be messing around with elevators and public lobbies if an akuma attack was happening. But the cost of rent went up drastically with each bedroom he added to his search. And less than half of them had balconies. He'd just have to keep looking later. Once he had a chance to sit down with Nino, they'd have a better idea what they could afford.

Adrien got dressed and went downstairs to his breakfast. Nathalie joined him, as she did every morning, to ask if he had any requests for lunch and to see him off to school.

"I would rather just have some cash to eat lunch out today. And, instead of a ride home, could you please just bring my fencing gear to the school in time for my lesson?"

"Of course," she answered. Nathalie took a leather pouch from her bag, counted out a few bills and handed them to Adrien. Then she took out her tablet and stylus and made a note, presumably writing the amount given and what it was for."

"And, Ms. Sancoeur, would you please pass on a request to my father for me?" Adrien asked.

"Certainly," she responded, tapping on the tablet with the stylus some more.

"I would like a ticket to the fall fashion show next month, so a friend can come. One of my friends is a really talented designer, and I think she would get a lot out of the experience."

The corner of her mouth twitched as though she were repressing a smile. "I'll pass the request along today. Is that all?"

"Thanks. Yeah, that's it." Then, as Nathalie was putting away her tablet, a thought occurred to Adrien. "Wait. Were you the one who brought the food to my room last night?"

She looked at him silently for a moment, then nodded once.

A moment of understanding seemed to pass between them. She knew he hadn't been home last night. But she had kept his secret for him. Adrien also realized she was probably the one who had suggested to Mr. D'Argencourt that Adrien would like the evening free to go to the movies last Wednesday. Adrien suddenly appreciated his father's assistant more than he ever had before.

"Thank you! Really... Thank you."

Nathalie smiled softly. "The car is ready out front as soon as you've finished your breakfast."

When Adrien arrived at school Nino and Alya were talking together on the lowest level of steps leading up to the main entrance. Alya recognized the black car immediately as it pulled up to the curb. She grabbed Nino's arm and pointed at it, then waved excitedly and they both came down to meet him.

"Hi guys," Adrien greeted them, slinging his book bag over his shoulder.

"Yo, Adrien. I was just telling Alya about our talk last night," Nino said as the shiny black car drove away again.

"About us being roommates?" Adrien asked, certain that this was not what Alya had been drilling out of his best friend.

Alya rolled her eyes, "No! About... wait, what? Roommates?"

"Yeah!" Nino chuckled. "We're going to get an apartment together here in the city. I've been wanting to get my own place for a while. And Adrien decided he wants to have a little more distance from his dad."

"And I'm just now hearing about this?" She demanded.

"Well, you've been so busy asking about Adrien and Marinette I didn't really have a chance to talk about it! Speaking of which," Nino said gesturing down the street.

Marinette was walking toward them. Her eyes kept darting all around, examining the other students gathered outside the school. Her hands were clutching the pink straps of her backpack and she was biting her lower lip in concentration.

Adrien felt his stomach do a somersault as she drew closer.

"Hey, Marinette," Alya greeted her.

"Hi, Alya," she answered, still looking around.

"Good morning, Marinette," Adrien said.

She stiffened and looked up at him, like she hadn't seen him standing there. "A-Adrien! Hi! Yeah. Morning good. I mean, morning is good. Um, how are you?" She stammered, and Adrien smiled, in his book this flustered and blushing response had to count as flirting. At least with a very loose definition of "flirt". And since he'd promised not to do any flirting of his own unless she initiated it, he figured he'd just gotten permission.

"I'm doing pretty good," he answered. And before he even needed to ask, Alya and Nino started walking into the school, leaving Adrien and Marinette standing alone together on the steps.

"Marinette?" Adrien began, and her eyes, which had been watching her friends leave with some perplexity, flashed back to his face.

His heart was hammering in his chest, but he somehow maintained a cool and collected exterior. "Would you like to go on a date with me?"

She said nothing. Her eyed grew a little wider, she stopped breathing, and her pupils dilated. Adrien let her stare at him for a second before he continued.

"My father is hosting a fashion show the end of next month. I'm pretty sure I can get a ticket for you. Maybe not front row, since those are usually sold out to investors, but still pretty good. I'll be in the show, of course, but not the whole time. We would still be able to spend time together. And we could go somewhere to eat after if you'd like to."

"Ah...uh...d-date? You eating with... and fashion... and with me? I'd love you! I mean I'd love to! Really? With me?"

He put his hand on her shoulder, which seemed to silence her flustered stammering, and smiled into her wide wondering eyes. "Yes, really. Once I get the ticket I'll bring it over to your place, if that's okay?"

"Um... I uh... uh huh?" She squeaked and nodded, grinning broadly.

"Great. It's a date then. I'm really looking forward to it."

Marinette continued to grin at him nodding with her hands clasped together at her chest.

Adrien chuckled softly. "Well, I think we should probably head in now. Unless I'm wrong, Alya is going to have a lot of questions to ask you before class starts." He smiled knowingly at her and started walking up the steps.

Marinette stood where she was for a few seconds, starry-eyed, then seemed to realize that Adrien had invited her to walk with him to class. She snapped back to reality and hurried to catch up.

Marinette was quiet at first as they walked through the hall together. But as they drew nearer to their classroom she plucked up the courage to speak to him. "A-Adrien? This is just so... unexpected. Thank you!" She looked down, shyly. "I can't tell you how much it means to me."

Adrien had long presumed that Marinette had a crush on him. As Alya had implied, it was painfully obvious. He'd always assumed it was the tension of having a secret crush and the uncertainty of non-mutual affection that caused her to turn into a puddle of awkward nerves around him. And he thought that once he asked her out, the tension would begin to dissolve and the real Marinette would start to show through. He was glad to see that he might have been right.

All the rest of that day he did his best to casually stay close to Marinette, and to ask her direct questions, hoping to draw out more non-stuttering responses. It seemed to be working. By lunchtime they were walking out of the school together and he asked, "So, what are you planning to do for lunch?" And, instead of babbling in confusion, Marinette shyly answered, "I usually just go home to eat."

Of course she did. Her parents' bakery was only a few blocks from the school.

"Would you... Um, would it be okay if I joined you?" Adrien asked, a little nervously. He wasn't sure if this was going too far or not.

The smile that lit up her face was positively radiant. She took a deep breath and nodded.

Following behind them, Nino and Alya grinned at one another and the rest of Marinette's friends stared in amazement. But from the shadows a pair of eyes was following Adrien and Marinette with suspicion. Leaning against the wall of the school courtyard, Chloé Bourgeois, Marinette's long time enemy and rival for Adrien's affection, watched them with narrowed eyes as they walked out to have lunch together.

The tiny silver bell dinged from the doorway when Marinette and Adrien walked into her family-owned bakery.

Marinette's father, a vast mountain of a man who would have been incredibly intimidating if it weren't for his kindly face, came from the kitchen wearing an apron and dusted with flour. "Hello, sweetie," he saw Adrien and raised his eyebrows in surprise, "did you bring a friend for lunch?"

"Um, yeah! You know Adrien, he, um..."

"Isn't he the one—" Mr. Dupain began, pointing up toward the second floor.

"YES!" She interrupted him, hastily. "He came over to play Ultimate Mecha Strike III with me that one time! You remember!"

Mr. Dupain looked between the two of them for a second and smiled, amused. "Well, we'll pull another plate out for lunch then!"

"You don't need to go to any trouble for me." Adrien assured him, "I've got some cash; I'll just buy something here."

"Oh, don't be silly. It's no trouble at all!" Mr. Dupain said. "What are you going to do, eat a box of croissants for lunch? Come on in here. Sabine! Marinette brought a boy home for lunch!" The last part he shouted into the back room where the kitchen was.

Marinette groaned and put her hand over her face while they followed her father behind the counter and back into the family kitchen.

"A boy?" Sabine Cheng's voice called from around the corner. And when they came into view, Marinette's mother put down the book she was reading. "Oh! Hello Adrien, how lovely to see you again."

"Thank you. Marinette said it would be okay if I joined her for lunch today?"

"Yes, of course! Have a seat; we have plenty."

Mr. Dupain filled bowls with tossed chicken salad and they sat together, like one big family, to eat. "So, you like video games, huh?" he asked.

"Dad!" Marinette cut in, blushing, before Adrien could answer. "He was only here because we were supposed to do the tournament together."

"Well, I am pretty good." Adrien offered, "But nowhere near as good as Marinette. I like to play in my free time, that's all."

"Marinette is pretty good isn't she? She learned from the best, you know?" Mr. Dupain struck a pose and Adrien couldn't help laughing at Marinette's obvious embarrassment.

"You play, too?" Adrien asked.

"Oh, yeah. Whenever it gets slow here at the bakery. Hey, want to have a face off before you go? If you were paired with Marinette, you've got to be pretty good," he said, eagerly.

"Yeah, sure. What do you think, Marinette? Do you think I can beat your dad?"

Marinette pulled her hands away from her face and seemed to realize that the world was not ending around her because her father had asked her crush to play video games. They were both smiling, enjoying one another's company.

"I don't know," she laughed a little nervously. "My dad did teach me everything he knows." She looked at her father and a slight glint came to her eye. "But now I use that knowledge to annihilate him!" Father and daughter laughed together and Adrien joined in.

"A-Adrien?" Marinette asked. "Did I hear Nino say that you're moving out? You two are getting a place together?"

Marinette's parents looked at him. Her father seemed curious, her mother seemed a bit shocked.

"Yeah, I am. It was kind of Nino's idea to begin with. But, I've got really good motivation to get out on my own."

"Where will you go? I mean, do you know where?"

"Not yet. We want to stay in the city, though. Nino has all his business here for one."

"Oh, my, that's going to me terribly expensive!" Sabine said.

"Yeah, I know. That's why we want to be roommates, so we can share the cost."

"What does your father think of you moving out?" she asked.

"Um..." for the first time since coming into the bakery, Adrien felt embarrassed. "He doesn't really know yet. He wouldn't want me to go, though, if he knew. It's really important to him to know where I am all the time. But that's partly why I need to do it." He looked at Marinette. "I'm supposed to be an adult in a few days, and my father demands to know where I am every second of every day. He even got upset with me for going to the theater with you after my fencing lesson was cancelled."

"Well, good for you, then!" Mr. Dupain said, slapping the table. "It's good for a young adult to branch out and start establishing himself in the world, get a little more independence."

"Well, yes, but Tom, can these boys even support themselves? Renting an apartment in the city? That's what tourists do. It's not very financially responsible."

The two continued to argue. Marinette had covered her face again with her hands.

Adrien was incredulous. A small part of him was offended that they would argue about his personal decisions together right in front of him. But another part, a much bigger part, wished that he had two parents with whom he could talk and argue around the table like this. And more than anything at that moment, he missed his mother.

He decided to force a change of subject. Adrien sat up and cleared his throat. "Mr. Dupain, how about we go do that Mecha Strike face off?"

"Great idea!" Marinette said, dropping her hands. She stood and immediately began clearing away the dishes.

"Oh, I'll take care of this," Sabine said. "You probably want to go watch these two duke it out. And, I'm sorry," she added to Adrien. "Sometimes my mothering instincts get the better of me, especially when it comes to my little girl and her friends."

"That's okay. You're right, after all. It will be very expensive. But to me it really will be worth it to get out on my own."

Sabine smiled at him, but the smile looked rather sad. She patted him on the shoulder and took his empty bowl to the sink.

Adrien joined Marinette and her father in their bright living room. It was a snug room, scarcely a tenth the size of Adrien's, frankly enormous, bedroom. There was just space enough for a sofa, their flat screen television, a Chinese lamp, and floor space for a small rug. Marinette's farther was big enough that he took up half of the sofa by himself.

"All right, aaaaand... we're connected!" Mr. Dupain announced when the loading screen disappeared and the player screen showed up.

Marinette handed Adrien her joycon, and he downloaded his mech from his online account. His mech—the fighting robot character each player could personalize and level up over time—resembled a humanoid robotic black cat, complete with ears and tail.

"Cool!" Mr. Dupain admired. "Let me guess, you used Chat Noir as inspiration?"

"Yeah, actually. Chat Noir is pretty awesome."

Next to him, Marinette snickered. Oh, he wasn't going to let her get away with that!

"What? He is! Haven't you seen the amazing stuff he can do?"

"Well I guess he can be pretty acrobatic. But Ladybug is much more powerful." She said this immediately, without having to think, and without even a hint of a stutter.

Adrien grinned. "C'mon. Chat once destroyed the entire Eiffel Tower with just a touch!"

"And then Ladybug restored it, _and_ everything else, with her power."

"That's true, but—"

"And her yo-yo is much cooler than Chat's staff."

"What? No way. Chat's staff rocks! And who would want to fight evil with a toy?"

"A _toy!?"_

"Ahem," Mr. Dupain cleared his throat. "Look we could just sit here and talk about Chat Noir and Ladybug until you need to go back to school if you want..."

"No, no let's do this!" Adrien said, and they started the match.

Marinette's father clearly spent a lot of time playing Mecha Strike. His mech, which resembled a rabbit, was a high level three, very powerful. Adrien found himself really enjoying the fight. He and Mr. Dupain kept up a running commentary throughout.

"Haha, shock ears!" Adrien boasted.

"Oh, no you don't!" Mr. Dupain said, his mech leaping and dodging out of the way.

"Shield! And sword tail!" Adrien got a few really nice hits in, taking the rabbit down to half health.

"Double kick!"

"Scratch attack!"

"Are you ready for this?" Mr. Dupain said.

"Uh oh," Marinette murmured.

Adrien noticed that Mr. Dupain's special attack meter was full. He hurried to put up his shield, but it didn't do him any good.

The rabbit mech suddenly divided into thousands of small robotic rabbits. Each one hit the black cat and took a small portion of its health down. Adrien's black cat mech was down to its last sliver of health.

" _Me-owch!"_ Adrien exclaimed.

"That's right, you got taken down... Tom style!" Marinette's father gloated.

"Wait, did you just make a cat pun?" Marinette asked, looking hard at Adrien.

Adrien didn't even notice his mech getting destroyed on the screen in front of him. He looked back at Marinette, shrugged casually and chuckled. But inside his heart was in his throat. Had he blown it? It was too soon! "Yeah, I guess I did. Must've gotten caught up in character," he said, as lightly as possible.

She eyed him suspiciously for a second, then laughed. "Wow, I'd say so. That one was almost bad enough to have come from Chat Noir!"


	7. Chapter 7

When they got back to school Marinette was quickly surrounded by a group of her girl friends in the courtyard who all seemed to be very interested in what she had been doing over lunch break. Adrien caught Nino's attention and drew him aside to talk.

"Nino, those apartments you sent, they're just not going to work for me. I think we need to find a place with a bedroom for each of us, so we can have more space and... and won't be on top of each other all the time."

"Well, I mean, I'd like my own room and all," Nino said, rubbing the back of his neck with his hand. "But on my own I can't afford more than €700 a month. Can we even find a place with bedrooms we can afford?"

"It's just that..." Adrien struggled for a second to think of a convincing reason why they needed separate bedrooms. "I'm kind of a light sleeper. And you're going to be getting back at all hours of the night from your gigs. And then in the day, when you're trying to catch up on your sleep, I'm going to want to be up and doing things."

"Yeah, I can see that. I just don't know..."

"Don't worry, we'll figure out a way to make it work. I'll even pay more than half of the rent if I need to. I tell you what, I'll look for some places today and call an agent, if you're free tomorrow we can go tour a few."

"Yeah, I'm up for that. But it will have to be early in the day. I've got a gig tomorrow at five-o-clock for a birthday party."

"That shouldn't be a problem, I'll..." Adrien trailed off and looked over at the group of girls surrounding Marinette. Another voice, a nasal, whiny, annoying voice, had joined the throng and he was just hearing what it was saying.

"If you think you're in any way good enough for him, you're a fool, Marinette! But, I already knew that. So let me explain it to you! Adrien is way too smart, and sexy, and rich to be interested in someone like you. And anyway, he's mine! So I'd better not catch you trying to flirt with him anymore."

"Back off, Chloé! Adrien doesn't belong to you!" Alya said as Adrien approached the group. Marinette, for her part, didn't look frightened. She had her arms folded and was glaring at Chloé, but seemed too furious to actually say anything.

"Chloé," Adrien said, darkly.

Chloé gasped and turned around with a huge smile. "Adrikins! I saw this common little thing trying to flirt with you today." She waved dismissively at Marinette. "But don't worry, I'm making sure she leaves you alone."

"I don't need you to do that for me, Chloé. In case you didn't notice, I was the one who was talking to her."

"Oh, well, but still!"

"Leave Marinette alone, okay?"

Chloé stared at him, aghast and he stared back at her for a moment. Then he walked away toward class and the rest of the group followed him, leaving Chloé looking utterly outraged.

"I'm sorry about Chloé, Marinette." He said on the way down the hall. "I don't know where she gets the idea that she and I are—"

"Oh, it's okay, really. I've started just expecting that kind of thing from her."

When the final bell rang at the end of school and all of his friends headed home, Adrien gathered his things and made his way to the library, where he was sure he could sit undisturbed and search for as long as was needed to find the right apartment for himself and Nino.

He sat at a study table with his laptop and scoured real estate websites for nearly an hour, often seeing the same listings over and over. He had nearly given up hope of finding anything when he finally hit on a place that just might work. He wrote down the agency contact information, packed up his laptop, and went outside to call for a showing.

The agent said she had a cancelled appointment at ten the next morning and could meet them there at the apartment to take them through it.

"That will be perfect, thank you!" Adrien hung up his phone and sighed with satisfaction. On the screen, that apartment had looked perfect. Two bedrooms, a balcony, right in the middle of the city, and only €1000 per month! Nino would be happy with that, he was sure.

Suddenly, the front doors of the school burst open and a crowd of panicked-looking people started running into the courtyard below. Adrien didn't recognize most of them. They weren't students, just random people from the street. He ran down the stairs to see what was going on.

"Hey, What are you all doing in here?" He asked the man nearest the foot of the stairs who was panting and sweating from running.

"What?" He gasped. "Haven't you heard? There's a... a man out there. He's attacking people... with plants!"

"What?"

"With plants!" The man yelled manically. "Trees a-a-and flowers, and...grass! Bushes! They're all coming alive and attacking people!"

"Oh no." Adrien raced across the courtyard into the locker room, where he hastily stuffed his book bag into his locker. "Are you ready Plagg?"

The kwami was already floating out of his pocket, his green eyes in narrow, determined slits.

"Claws out!"

Minutes later Chat Noir was vaulting over the rooftops of Paris toward the spot where Ladybug was indicated on the map in his staff. How long had she been battling without him? It seemed like everywhere he looked there was wildly overgrown greenery thrashing about and attacking anything that ventured too near. As he watched, bushes grew larger, thorny branches reaching out and swinging at the heels of fleeing people. The branches on the trees elongated and flailed like arms, entangling everything within their ever increasing reach. And everywhere he saw people entangled in the living plant life, sometimes flailing madly, sometimes distressingly still. He could even see blood pooling on the ground beneath some of the unfortunate victims and felt sick to his stomach.

Chat rounded a bend and saw, to his horror, Ladybug caught in the limbs between two trees, her arms and legs pulled taut, her yo-yo lying useless on the ground. And the plant man, covered in vines which seemed to be growing from his body like living limbs, was moving in like an enormous green leafy spider to take Ladybug's earrings.

Chat hurled his staff with all his might. It spun through the air and knocked the plant man to the side, then it arced around and returned to his hand like a boomerang. He extended it and swiped it through the branches of the trees, breaking off the limbs which held Ladybug. She fell to the ground, staggered, and picked up her yo-yo.

"About time you showed up!" she panted.

"Terribly sorry, M'lady! I was distracted. I didn't even know this was happening until a few minutes ago!"

The plant man had gotten back upright. The vines coming out of his body seemed to swell in rage. Then, to Chat's astonishment, buds formed and bloomed from the vines and bursts of pollen erupted from them.

"Whatever you do, stay away from that stuff!" Ladybug said. "It's poison!"

"Yikes!" Chat jumped aside when the plant man swung a vine at him, spraying a cloud of poison in its wake.

The man swung again, this time toward ladybug. She, too, leapt aside, but stumbled a bit on her landing. She coughed and swayed a little as she righted herself.

"Ladybug!" Chat sprang into action. Before he even realized what he was doing he had slashed off several of the vine limbs growing from the man. Then he was at Ladybug's side. He had lifted her into his arm. And they were soaring up to a nearby rooftop and away from the akumatized villain.

"What happened?" He asked as they landed together.

"It's the poison from those flowers," she answered. "It saps your energy, makes it hard to breathe, makes you dizzy, and..." She started coughing and Chat was horrified to see a trickle of blood at the corner of her mouth. "Come on," she said. "We have to finish this!"

Chat followed her for a couple steps while she swung her yo-yo. But when she cast it, she missed her mark. She tried again, but the swinging motion seemed to throw her off balance and she fell, shaking her head and coughing up more blood.

Chat rushed to her side and knelt down.

"I'm sorry, Chat. I—I can't. I can't even see straight."

Chat put a hand on her shoulder. "Listen, we can do this. I can help you. Do you know where the akuma is?"

Ladybug nodded, coughing some more. She seemed to be getting weaker. "In his spade. He's carrying it in his hand."

"All right, I need you to do your lucky charm now."

Chat helped her to stand and she once more cast her yo-yo, straight up into the air.

"Lucky Charm!" She shouted, her voice breaking, and once more collapsing in a fit of coughing.

A flash of light shot from the yo-yo and a strange garden tool fell between them. It looked like a rake with a narrow head and long strong teeth bent at a ninety degree angle.

"It's a garden cultivator." Marinette said.

"Okay, what should I do with it?" Chat asked.

"You? B-but—"

"It has to be me. I'll bring the spade up here and help you catch the akuma."

The sound of shattering glass floated up from the street below. Chat looked over the edge and recoiled. The plant man was using his vine limbs, which seemed to have grown back, to climb the side of the building.

"Uh, Ladybug. Any time now would be good to have an idea!"

"A staff," she said.

"What?"

"A staff! Use it like a staff. And use the forked end to grab the spade."

"Got it!" Chat grabbed the garden cultivator in his right hand and kept his Chat staff in his left, twirling them both. Even though he was terribly worried about Ladybug right now, he still had room in his mind to think that he probably looked pretty wicked.

Chat dove over the side of the building, bringing his metallic staff down once more on the limbs of the plant man, severing him from the side of the building. The impact burst several of the forming flower buds, enveloping them both in a cloud of the noxious pollen.

Chat hastily held his breath and leapt over the top of the villain, swinging the cultivator and hooking it around the garden spade in the man's hand. He wrenched it free, and with another leap he caught it midair.

Chat planted his staff and extended it again, lifting himself back up to the roof before the plant man had a chance to stand up again.

He breathed a sigh of relief, and instantly regretted it. Some of the poison, it seemed, had clung to him. He felt it working it's way down his nose and throat, itching, tingling, and burning.

Ladybug was reclined in a half seated half lying position. Her red sleeve looked damp, and Chat could see that she'd been wiping her blood away with it. She coughed again weakly and droplets of blood splattered over the rooftop in front of her. She was breathing more shallowly now, and she looked up at Chat with eyes that couldn't quite seem to focus.

"I've got it, Ladybug. Do you think you can capture the akuma?" Chat asked, anxiously. They had to do this fast.

Ladybug stood slowly, steadied herself, and began swinging her yo-yo. "Do it."

Chat threw the spade down and it shattered against the roof. Dark mist oozed from the pieces and formed into a soot black butterfly: the evil akuma. It flitted it's wings and began to fly up into the sky.

Ladybug concentrated hard on it. She spun with her yo-yo, swinging it about like a lasso. The sphere opened, revealing the luminous trap within, ready for the akuma. Ladybug cast the yo-yo toward the escaping black butterfly, but her aim was far off. It swung wide and clattered, still open, onto the baking rooftop.

Chat watched ladybug collapse—panting, coughing, and still bleeding—in utter horror. More than anything he wanted to go to her, hold her, and comfort her. But the yo-yo was lying open on the rooftop and the akuma was escaping. He sprang into action, snatching the string from Ladybug's hand he swung the yo-yo around himself, and missed. He tried again but the butterfly seemed to dodge the yo-yo at the last millisecond.

"This is harder than it looks," he said. Then he had an idea. He grabbed the open sphere of the yo-yo in one clawed hand and used his staff to launch himself at the retreating akuma. When he was right on top of it, he snapped the yo-yo shut around it and dropped back down next to Ladybug.

She was laying motionless on the hot rooftop.

"Ladybug?"

She didn't respond.

"Ladybug!" He dropped the yo-yo and grabbed her shoulders, shaking her lightly. She moaned and lifted her hand feebly, then dropped it again.

He had to do something! Only her miraculous power could undo all the horrible things the akuma had done. But only Ladybug could use that power. And she was lying, unconscious in his arms.

But maybe he could help her to do it, just as he helped capture the akuma? First she had to release the purified akuma from her yo-yo.

Chat took the yo-yo and traced her finger along its surface, just as he'd always seen her do it before. It took a few tries, maybe because he didn't know where the invisible seam was, or maybe because his hands were shaking so badly. But it finally worked. The surface of the yo-yo opened like the carapace over a ladybug's wings and a pure white butterfly flitted to freedom.

 _Then what? THEN WHAT?_ Chat thought frantically.

The lucky charm! Where was it? He ran over to the edge of the rooftop where the garden cultivator lay in the same place where he'd dropped it moments ago. He snatched it up and brought it back to Ladybug's side.

How was he going to do this? He tried putting it in her hand and said. "Miraculous ladybug. Miraculous ladybug!" But it didn't work. And he knew it wouldn't work. It couldn't work, because, just like with his cataclysm, _she_ had to be the one to say it. But she couldn't because she was lying unconscious from a magical poison, probably dying right there in his arms, and he was completely useless! Why had he spent so much time in the library, not paying attention to what was going on outside? This was all his fault!

"Ladybug! LADYBUG!" He shouted, desperately trying to wake her. In the buildings all around them, people were watching them through their windows, wondering why Ladybug hadn't gotten rid of the murderous plant life yet. Wondering why Chat Noir was holding her in his arms, weeping over her limp form and yelling her name.

The last spot on Ladybug's earring started flashing and sent a warning beep that only Chat could hear.


	8. Chapter 8

The familiar beeping sound seemed to trigger something in Chat. It didn't matter that Ladybug wouldn't wake up. It didn't matter that he couldn't perform the miraculous power that would save her. What mattered was that she was about to transform back into Marinette and there were perhaps hundreds of people watching them right now. He had to get her away from there. And he absolutely refused to give up on her.

Chat scooped his partner up and flung her over his shoulder. He grabbed the lucky charm and dashed away as fast as his legs would carry him toward Marinette's home. He could feel the warmth of her body through his suit. And he could feel her heartbeat against his shoulder, a steady slow rhythm that reassured him as he raced against time to save her life.

Moments later he was dropping into the balcony above Marinette's bedroom with Ladybug's limp form in his arms. He pulled up the hatch and carefully climbed down into her bedroom below. He couldn't tell whether she was breathing or not when he gently laid her down.

Her earring beeped one last time, and the transformation lifted. A beam of pink-white light moved up her body. And then instead of Ladybug it was Marinette laying ashen on the floor in front of him with a mixture of fresh and dried blood smeared over her face and shirt like some sort of nightmarish crime scene.

Before Chat had a chance to even think what to do next, Ladybug's kwami, Tikki, zoomed out of one of the earrings. She looked much like Plagg, except that she was mostly red, had black spots, and antennae. She looked once at her mistress and then turned toward him.

"Chat Noir! Where is the lucky charm? Hurry!" She squeaked.

Chat scrambled over to the hatch and grabbed the garden cultivator. Tikki flew toward him and touched her forehead to it. Instantly the charm flashed bright white and burst into a swarm of thousands of tiny motes, filling the room with a pinkish white glow, then it disappeared through the ceiling where, Chat assumed, it spread out over the entire city, setting everything right again.

—

Marinette was confused. She seemed to have fallen asleep on the floor, but she couldn't remember why. What was she doing here? It was terribly uncomfortable. And what was that strangely familiar whooshing sound? What day was it even?

Through the fog in her brain she heard Tikki's voice, but she couldn't really understand what her kwami was saying.

Marinette sat up, rubbing her bleary eyes. "What, Tikki? What's going on? Why am I on the floor?"

"Marinette!" The little kwami squealed in delight and flew into Marinette's face in a hug almost forceful enough to knock her over.

Before Marinette could ask again what was going on, something else grasped her in a tight black-leather-clad embrace. "You're alive! Marinette, you're alive!" a familiar voice exclaimed into her ear.

"What?" Marinette asked, still utterly confused.

"We were so worried!" Tikki squeaked.

The larger form that was hugging her backed away enough that Marinette finally understood who it was.

"Chat Noir? What's going on? Tikki, what is he doing in my bedroom?"

"Oh, you know," Chat began with a grin, and Marinette just knew he was going to make a cat pun. "You decided to take a little Chat nap!" Chat laughed, but it sounded more like he was laughing out of relief than at the humor of his joke.

But then Marinette started to remember. "The Foliager! Did we catch the akuma? What happened?"

"The Foliager? Is that what he called himself? What a stupid name. Don't worry, it's all taken care of. We caught the akuma. And Tikki was able to use her miraculous power to make everything right again."

Marinette stood up, which seemed to make Chat feel nervous. He rolled her desk chair over to her, but she didn't need it. "I remember I wasn't feeling well..."

"Marinette, you nearly died!" Tikki said, bluntly.

"Really?"

"You were unconscious and bleeding and barely breathing." Tikki continued. "Chat brought us here just in time and saved your life!"

Marinette looked at Chat, who shrugged, nonchalantly, as if to say, "yeah, pretty much."

"I should have waited for you before trying to get the akuma," she said and his casual expression transformed into a pained one. "I know that we can't always get to the villains right away. But I thought I could do it all on my own. I saw all those people getting hurt and..." she sighed. "I was reckless. I'm sorry."

Chat was stunned, "No, I should have been there sooner. If I'd only been paying attention then none of this..."

"Please don't... Don't blame yourself. We can't be expected to be on the lookout all the time. It's impossible. This was entirely my fault for thinking that I could do it by myself."

"Ladybug needs Chat Noir," Tikki said to Marinette. "Without him, you're more vulnerable than you realize."

"I think I'm starting to realize that," she said, wryly. "Thank you for saving my life, Chat."

Chat smiled at her. "I already know that I would be nothing without you. You're very welcome, M'lady." He bowed gallantly.

And then Marinette did something that surprised both of them. When Chat stood from his bow, she rushed at him and embraced him fiercely, her arms wrapped around his neck pulling herself into him as tightly as she could

Surprised though he obviously was, he returned the embrace instantly. His strong arms wrapped around her shoulders and back. His face buried in her hair. His breath, hot on her skin, was shaky with some powerful emotion, like he was about to cry. And, though she wasn't even sure why, she felt a lump form in her throat, too.

It was a moment that seemed to last forever, but at the same time was over far too soon. Marinette didn't ever want to let go of Chat, but she did. And when they parted she realized that her eyes were moist.

Chat looked at her, breathing a little heavily, his emerald cat eyes dancing with happiness and mischief. "If this is the kind of thanks that I get, I'm going to have to save your life more often." He cupped her jaw in his hand briefly, then crawled up through the escape hatch with a jaunty, "until next time, then!"

And then he was gone.

Marinette took a few shaky steps backwards and collapsed into her chair. What had that been about? She knew what it seemed like... but she loved Adrien!

She was just thankful, that had to be it. She was grateful that Chat had saved her life. And it had only been a hug, after all. At least that's what she told herself.

But what had happened was definitely _not_ just a hug. On an emotional level, it had been tantamount to a passionate kiss, or more, and she knew it.

"Tikki, what on earth is wrong with me?" she asked, breathlessly.

"Oh, I don't think there's anything wrong with you at all."

—

Later that evening Adrien sank heavily into the sofa in his room. It had been the longest of all possible long days. After he'd left Marinette's room, he'd made it back to the school just barely in time for his fencing class. Mr. D'Argencourt had been as good as his word and pushed Adrien twice as hard to make up for him missing class last Wednesday.

"You know, you'd think that something like trees and bushes coming alive and attacking people would cause more of a disruption to people's schedules," he mused.

"I guess you Parisians are just learning to roll with the punches," Plagg said, prying open a box of Camembert cheese.

"I think I'm going to go to bed and not get out until Monday," Adrien groaned. His whole body ached from his truly brutal fencing lesson. And his mind was still swimming with chaos from everything that had happened that day.

"You can't. Aren't you supposed to go look at an apartment tomorrow?" Plagg asked, puzzled that, for once, he should be the one telling his master that he would have to get out of bed in the morning.

"That's right! And I haven't even told Nino yet!" Adrien pulled out his phone and sent Nino a quick text with the time of the tour, the address, and a link to the listing. "All right, that's done. Now I'm going to shower off all this sweat, then I'm going to lay down in bed and nobody'd better get akumatized until morning."

Plagg just chuckled and swallowed another wedge of Camembert whole.

Adrien stripped down and sat under the steaming jet of hot water, letting it pour over his aching muscles, washing away the stress of the day.

As he knew he would, he began to think about Marinette. He had enjoyed the time he'd spent with her as Adrien. And he thought that she had enjoyed his company as well, though she was still a bit shy around him. And he certainly hadn't failed to notice all the pictures of himself decorating the walls of her room when he'd been in there after the akuma attack.

But when he had been with her as Chat—not when she was Ladybug, but later when she was Marinette—something had clicked. The two sides of her had come together, and she had no longer been just Ladybug or just Marinette. She had been both. And it had been everything.

He closed his eyes and remembered it vividly. She'd looked at him. There had been a chink in the armor and something broke through. And then she had been in his arms, fiercely clinging to his neck, her warmth all around him, the smell of her filling his mind. He'd buried his face in her soft hair and pulled her tightly into him, feeling the curve of her spine, the softness of her body in his arms. He hadn't really known where this sudden intimacy had come from, but in that moment he couldn't have cared less.

The overwhelming grief he had experienced on the rooftop and the giddy relief of a few moments prior had left him completely vulnerable. He would have done anything for her in that moment. Absolutely anything.

But she was dating Adrien.

Adrien felt a very peculiar, and very nonsensical, surge of double sided jealousy. On one hand, Chat Noir was seething at the idea that Ladybug, with whom he had recently shared a very intimate moment, was dating Adrien. On the other hand, Adrien was jealous that Marinette, the girl who supposedly had a huge crush on him and who had agreed to go on a date with him, had just shared an intensely intimate moment with Chat Noir.

It lasted for less than a minute, then Adrien came to his senses and laughed at himself. It was all his own doing, of course! He was trying to get to know Marinette as Adrien, and he was trying to get her to see Adrien in Chat. If she loved Adrien, he couldn't expect that to stop all of a sudden when she started to see him through Chat's mask.

Adrien turned off the shower and toweled off.

The best part of all, he thought, was that for one moment both sides of her, Marinette and Ladybug, seemed to have seen both sides of him, Chat Noir and Adrien. And she loved him.

The next day, Adrien, forced himself to get out of bed with horribly aching muscles to dress and eat his breakfast. He was pleasantly surprised to find a white envelope waiting next to his breakfast plate containing the ticket he had requested to the fashion show. He finished with his meal, stashed some cheese in his pocket for Plagg, and hurried out before anyone could ask him what he was doing, where he was going, or force him to take a The Gorilla along.

He met the agent outside the apartment building a few minutes before ten, just as planned. The agent, Mrs. Blanc, was a grey-haired bespectacled woman with a kindly face and soft voice. They made polite conversation while waiting for Nino to arrive. She pointed out the nice things in the area, like a convenience store across the street which she thought he might find useful.

"Yo, my man!" Adrien heard his friend's voice call.

Adrien turned to look, and was surprised to see that Alya and Marinette were accompanying Nino up the street.

"I hope it's okay that I brought the ladies with," Nino said.

"We figured the more pairs of eyes the better," Alya added.

Marinette smiled a little nervously, "We can wait outside if it's not okay."

"It's okay with me, but I don't know..." Adrien turned to the agent. "Can our friends come in, too, Mrs. Blanc?"

"Sure, sure, of course." Mrs. Blanc smiled at the group of them in a fond, grandmotherly sort of way before turning and entering the key code on the wall panel. They followed her into the cramped lobby where mailboxes filled the wall to their left. She entered the key code on another panel and they followed her through a second door to a stairway.

"This apartment is only on the second floor," Mrs. Blanc announced proudly. "Not too many stairs to climb."

"Did you guys catch any of that Ladybug action yesterday?" Alya asked. "I was stuck babysitting my little sisters and couldn't get out to see any of it!"

 _And she says this like it's a bad thing!_ Adrien thought to himself, remembering the bloodied bodies hanging from trees.

"Uh, no. I was in my room. Listening to music." Marinette offered, vaguely.

"I was on the other side of town," Nino said with a shrug.

"I was in the school library," Adrien said. "Looking for rental properties. But I did notice a bunch of people running into the courtyard to escape whatever was going on outside."

"Well, apparently it was pretty epic," Alya said. "I've been getting nonstop emails about it through my blog since yesterday, but I haven't had a chance to sit down and look at them yet."

"Now there is one assigned parking space in the back, if you have a car." Mrs. Blanc said, shuffling ahead of them up the stairs and oblivious to their conversation. She made it to the door, pulled out a key, and unlocked it for them.

The front door opened to an entryway barely big enough for one person to fit. If Adrien had thought that the living room at Marinette's house was cozy, this place was downright cramped. It was unfurnished, but he could see that once they had a small sofa, a desk, and a lamp in the living space there would scarcely be room for anything else.

The kitchen was, if possible, even more shockingly small. There was a stove with two gas burners and an oven big enough for a pie, or maybe a small chicken. Not that Adrien knew how to cook those things anyway. The sink was so tiny they would have to wash larger dishes in sections. There was no dishwasher. But there was a strange outlet and exposed piping at the far corner, past the refrigerator.

"What's this?" Adrien asked.

"For a washing machine, dear." Mrs. Blanc answered.

"So there's no community laundry room?" Alya asked, while Adrien realized that he hadn't been considering the fact that he would need to prepare his own food, wash his own dishes, and clean his own laundry. He was prepared to do all of those things, but he frankly had never learned how.

"Oh not here. But there is a laundromat down the street if you'll be needing one."

"Let's take a look at the bedrooms," Adrien suggested.

They didn't have far to walk, of course. On the opposite side of the living room from the kitchen there was a built in wardrobe flanked on either side by a set of doors. It took no time at all to see everything there was to see in the first bedroom. The only remarkable features were the outlets on the walls and a window at the far end.

The second room was almost the same, except that instead of a window, a sliding glass door led to the balcony outside. Adrien tried the door and it slid open easily. The balcony was just wide enough to walk along, with wrought iron railing, and a door at the other end which led back into the living room.

He heard the footsteps of somebody else stepping out onto the balcony. He turned to see Marinette watching him.

"What do you think?" she asked.

Adrien leaned against the railing and looked out along the street. "It's small, but I like it, at least for me. It's exactly what I need. I especially like the balcony. I hope Nino will be okay with me taking this room."

"I think he will be," Marinette said, coming alongside him. "I just heard him telling Alya that he needed to convince you to let him have the other one, because it has more outlets." They laughed together and she smiled up at him.

"Oh, I have something for you," Adrien said, reaching into his pocket. "I was planning to come by the bakery later today, but since you're here anyway..." he handed her the white envelope containing the ticket to the fashion show.

"Wow, thank you!" She looked at the ticket for a moment, then back up at him with questioning eyes. "Can I ask you something?"

"Sure."

"Why... I mean, not that I don't appreciate it, because I really do. But why did you suddenly decide to ask me out? We've known each other for years. And," she hesitated and blushed. "I've always been really awkward around you. So I don't understand why you would even want to..."

Adrien took her hand and she stopped talking.

"I can't explain it all right now, but I'll try my best. Let's just say... that I finally learned to see the real you. When you were with your other friends, you were always so different than you were with me. You were brave and kind and generous and confident. And I really want to get to know _that_ Marinette. And, honestly, I want you to get to know the real me, too. Not just the public face that everybody sees."

Marinette's eyes were swimming as she gazed back at him. "I think I would like that, too," she breathed.

"Hey!" Nino poked his head through the doorway from the living room, saw Adrien and Marinette holding hands, and grinned. "Are you two done looking at the balcony? Or are you going to need another hour or two?"

On the way out, Mrs. Blanc gave them a contract to peruse and warned them, gently, that the landlord would not hold the apartment for them if other tenants came along and signed before they did.

Half an hour later, the four friends were sitting at a table outside a diner near the park, discussing the apartment. They all seemed to be of one mind about the place.

"I thought it was pretty great," Nino said. "I mean, it was small, but I was expecting that. And you can't beat the price."

"I'm sure it will take some getting used to, but I don't think you're likely to find anything better without paying a whole lot more," Alya agreed, pulling out her phone so she could finally look through the emails from her "Ladyblog."

"I liked it, too," Marinette said. "Especially the balcony." She smiled shyly at Adrien, who looked up at her from reading through the contract and smiled back at her.

"It says in here," he said to Nino. "That we will need to pay two months' rent up front to move in. There are other costs, too: electricity, gas, water. Garbage is included, though, unless we need to throw away something really big. And the contract is with both of us, so we'll both need to sign it. And then there's this big list of rules..."

"I have enough for two months rent now," Nino said, casually.

"You do?" Adrien asked, looking up from the contract again.

"Yeah, I've been saving up for a long time. Right now I'm not making enough to keep on spending that kind of money, but if it's just one time to get us in, that's not a problem."

"Well, then. Unless you want to keep looking, maybe we should—"

"What!" Alya said, staring at her phone.

The rest of them stopped to look at her.

"No! This can't be right. It doesn't make sense!" She continued, wide eyed, hand trembling around her phone. "Is this even real?!"

"What is it?" Marinette demanded.

Alya looked up at her and seemed almost frightened of explaining herself. She hesitated, then handed her phone to Marinette. Adrien and Nino moved behind her to see the screen.

It was a video, taken with a high quality camera from the window of someone's apartment. Adrien instantly recognized what was going on.

The plant man, or "Foliager" as he had apparently called himself, was using his leafy limbs to climb the side of the neighboring building. At first the picture was zoomed tight in on him, watching his progress as he shattered windows on his way up.

Then the video panned up. The vantage point was high enough that it was able to look down onto the rooftop of the building the Foliager was climbing. And, sure enough, there was Ladybug and Chat Noir. Ladybug was lying down and coughing.

Adrien felt sick inside at the memory of it.

Chat Noir took the garden cultivator which was lying on the rooftop and, spinning both it and his staff in his hands, dove off of the building toward the villain. In a feat so blindingly fast it amazed Adrien himself, Chat had knocked the villain off of the building, severed many of his vine legs, stole the garden spade, and launched himself back to the rooftop.

"Dude, that was totally wicked!" Nino said, impressed.

Adrien grinned. "Yeah it was."

The camera panned out to try to keep all three figures in the frame. So it was difficult to tell what exactly was happening on the rooftop. But it was easy to see that Ladybug stood swung her yo-yo and then fell over. A short moment later, Chat was swinging her yo-yo.

"What's...going on?" Nino asked. Alya just shook her head, biting her lip with stress. Adrien and Marinette said nothing.

On the screen, Chat made a leap with his staff and seemed to be trying to catch something out of the air. When he landed, he dropped the yo-yo and grabbed hold of Ladybug, who had gone completely limp.

Whoever was taking the video moved. The camera shook so that for a few seconds the video was jumble of confusion. Then it refocused from a slightly better angle and zoomed in to the scene unfolding on the rooftop.

Chat was holding Ladybug in his arms, shaking her, crying, and yelling. There was blood smeared on Ladybug's face and splattered on the rooftop around her. She remained motionless while Chat, clearly in an agony of grief, continued fruitlessly to try to wake her.

Then Chat suddenly got up. He lifted Ladybug's limp body onto his shoulder and carried her away and out of sight.

The video ended.

"What...did we just watch?" Nino asked. "Did Ladybug just...?"

"I...don't know," Alya said. Her voice broke; she sniffed and wiped her eyes. "I don't know."


	9. Chapter 9

They were all silent. Nino and Alya were still staring at the phone in Marinette's frozen hand in horrified shock, which Adrien could completely understand. Watching the video had rekindled feelings of terror and despair in him which he would have much rather not revisited.

He felt he should say something, anything to break the silence. But he couldn't think of a single thing to say. ' _Don't worry, she's fine now. I know because I'm really Chat Noir and I carried her home where a tiny god of creation magically cured her. And by the way she's also sitting right here,'_ just didn't seem appropriate.

He looked over at Marinette, hoping that she would have some clue what to do. But Marinette was still looking at the blank screen, lost in her own thoughts, with tears trickling silently down her cheeks.

"Marinette, are you all right?" he asked, wondering why she would possibly be crying. He had expected her to be internally freaking out, the way he was. After all, her friends had just basically watched her die. But crying? Why would she be crying?

"Y-Yes... I mean, no... I mean..." she sniffed and wiped her eyes. "It's just... Chat... The way he was... crying over her..."

"He must really love her," Alya agreed, in a subdued voice.

Adrien couldn't stand it. He had to say something to turn the tide of the conversation. "But, she's got to be okay, right? I mean..." He cast about wildly for some assurance that a layperson would understand, something that would not give him away as Chat Noir. He couldn't let them continue believing Ladybug might be dead. "Everything went back to normal, didn't it? All the trees and all the people who were hurt are fine now. So Ladybug must be fine, too."

"That makes sense," Marinette agreed, putting the phone down, which she had been blankly staring at for the past minute.

"But... No it doesn't." Alya said, starting to get angry through her tears. "How does that make sense? If she was going to be okay, why was Chat Noir crying like that?"

"Well, I'm sure he was worried about her," Adrien said. "But maybe he was taking her away to help her somehow?"

"What, are you the Ladybug expert all of a sudden?" Alya demanded, really getting angry now.

"Alya..." Nino put his hand on her shoulder, but she shook him off.

"I'm sorry, guys. I've got to go... to go... update the Ladyblog." She choked out the last part, grabbed her phone and stormed away.

The three of them stared after her for a moment.

Adrien decided that something had to be done before Alya posted that horrible video to her blog, which he knew she would. And she would probably write a long beautiful eulogy for Ladybug while she was at it.

He scooted a little closer to Marinette and spoke gently into her ear. "I think you should go to her," he said.

"You think...what?" She blinked and shook her head, like he had pulled her out of some other train of thought.

"You're Alya's best friend, and she's really upset right now. I think she needs... _someone_... to be there for her. And if anyone can convince her to not give up hope in Ladybug, I'm sure you can."

Marinette thought about what he said for a moment, then nodded. "You're right. And on top of that I can't let her post that video to the Ladyblog, everyone will go into a panic."

"Yeah, talk about throwing the cat among the pigeons." Adrien let out a heavy breath and ran his hand through his hair.

Marinette eyed him curiously, like he had just done something entirely out of character.

"At least we know that Chat Noir is okay," Nino said, hopefully.

"Chat Noir is pretty amazing," Adrien said. "But he's nothing without Ladybug."

Marinette smiled as she stood and slung her purse over her shoulder. "I'm pretty sure Ladybug needs Chat just as much as he needs her," she corrected. "I'll see you two tomorrow. I'd better hurry and catch up with Alya before she really gets carried away."

For the next few hours Adrien convinced Nino to attempt to study for their exams together. He was sure his friend needed the help and Adrien needed an excuse to stay out. But neither of them was putting a lot of effort into it. They were both too distracted with thinking about that video. Nino kept stopping mid sentence to ask Adrien questions about hypothetical doomsday situations which Adrien simply couldn't answer.

"So if the atomic mass of gold is... But even if she's just sick and not dead, what if another villain comes along before she gets better?"

"I don't know, Nino. I guess Chat might try to fight him on his own. Or maybe she would still try to fight, even if she is sick."

And a few minutes later: "So if water is the electron donor... But what if Chat gets sick too? Then there wouldn't be anyone to fight the villains!"

"Chat looked fine in the video, though."

It went on like this until it was finally time for Nino to prepare for his birthday party DJ gig that evening.

Adrien reluctantly made his way back home. He took his time, walking slowly up the street in the warm late afternoon sun. He started wondering about Marinette's unfathomable reaction to the video of their struggle on the rooftop. Did she not remember what had happened? She had obviously not been conscious for the last part of the ordeal. But why had watching the recording brought her to tears?

Because he had cried over her. That was what she had said. Chat Noir holding and crying over Ladybug had surprised her and moved her to tears. But if it had surprised her, did that mean that she hadn't believed that Chat truly loved her?

When Adrien got back to the estate, Nathalie intercepted him on the way to his room and interrogated him on his whereabouts during the day. He wearily explained that he'd been out with his friends. They'd had lunch together at a diner. And then he'd been studying for his end of year exams with Nino.

When he got to his room he sat down at his computer and nervously opened the Ladyblog website, and breathed a sigh of relief when he saw no mention of the shocking video on the main page.

"Well, she hasn't posted it yet, at least. I sure hope Marinette understood what I was trying to tell her."

"Don't worry," Plagg said. "Even if she didn't, Tikki will have. She rides around in Marinette's purse, you know, so she heard you. It's probably a lot more comfortable in there than in your pocket, by the way. I'm sure there's a lot more room for cheese in there, too."

"I'm not going to start carrying a purse, Plagg, so don't even try."

The morning of Adrien's eighteenth birthday dawned bright and clear, just like any other. And, just like any other morning, Adrien woke with very little expectation of festivities.

"Happy birthday, Adrien!" Plagg zoomed up to him, holding a piece of stinky cheese tied with green ribbon.

"Ew, I mean, no thanks, Plagg."

The little kwami just shrugged and swallowed the cheese whole.

When Adrien arrived in the dining room for breakfast, there was a small box waiting next to his breakfast plate. It was not wrapped, but Adrien could instantly tell that the white box with gold lettering was his birthday present from his father. He opened it and found, as he had expected, a very expensive fountain pen. He had three others exactly the same.

Adrien sighed in resignation, finished his breakfast, slung his book bag over his shoulder, and went out to the car where The Gorilla was waiting to drive him to school.

His friends were chatting together on the steps leading up to the school's main entrance when the sleek black car pulled up to the curb. Alya looked a lot less agitated than she had the last time he'd seen her. Adrien hoped this meant that Ladybug had paid her a visit the previous evening.

"Hey, Adrien," Alya greeted him. "I'm really sorry about snapping at you yesterday." She grimaced apologetically. "And it turns out, you were right, Ladybug is just fine. She even came to my house to tell me so in person!"

"Wow, really?" He worked very hard not to grin or wink at Marinette.

"Yeah, she figured some people might have seen what happened and wanted me to write an update in the Ladyblog to let everyone know she's all right."

"So what did happen?" Nino asked.

"I don't know, exactly, but she said that Chat Noir saved her life. And she made me promise not to post the video on the blog. She thought it would make everyone worried for no reason."

"I'm glad she's okay," Marinette said. "You know, if she is telling you to update your blog, it probably means she reads it herself."

"Yeah, you're right! I didn't think about that!" Alya said, excitedly.

"Happy birthday, by the way, dude!" Nino said, jabbing Adrien in the shoulder good-naturedly and holding out a CD. "I put this together for you. It's all the top downloaded songs from my online albums. Plus a few new ones that I haven't released yet. You'll have to tell me what you think."

"Hey, thanks, Nino! You didn't have to do that."

"Is it your birthday again already?" Alya asked. "Happy birthday!"

Marinette had pulled her backpack off and reached inside of it. She brought out a gift wrapped in blue paper with red ribbon. "Happy Birthday, Adrien," she said, presenting it to him.

"Really?" He tucked the CD into his bag to free his hands and took the gift from her.

"I, um, I made it myself." She said, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "Well, not all of it. Just the outside, really."

He tore into the paper and pulled open the box to reveal a black leather journal. It was obviously handcrafted, but looked exceptionally professional in quality. There were intricate designs tooled in the corners and artfully gilded so that parts of the designs shone in the sunlight. She had even monogrammed his initials elegantly in the center of the front cover.

Adrien unfastened the leather tie and opened the journal. There were built in places for pens and cards. And two built in strips of leather as placeholders. The paper notebook itself could be removed from the leather and replaced, but it still sat securely in the cover.

"Wow, this is amazing! And you made it yourself?"

She just shrugged and smiled at him.

"This seriously looks like professional work. I didn't know you did leather crafting."

"Well, this is the first journal cover I've made. But I've done hats and belts before. It was a fun project to work on."

"Thank you!" And before he even thought about it, he wrapped his arms around her and hugged her.

It was nothing at all like the intensely intimate embrace they had shared in her bedroom when he had been Chat Noir. But Marinette hugged him back easily and warmly. It felt comfortable, and genuine, and right, like in each other's arms was where they belonged.

"Adrikins!" Chloé Bourgeois ran up the steps toward them, pushed Marinette aside, and threw herself on Adrien, kissing his cheek. "I remembered that it's your birthday, of course. So tonight we're going on a date. Just you and me!" The blonde snapped her fingers at her friend, Sabrina—a short, shy, redheaded girl who doted on Chloé—who brought forth an envelope and handed it to her.

"What? Look, Chloé..." Adrien began.

"My daddy reserved seats for us at Restaurante le Jules Verne... in the Eiffel Tower, can you believe it?" She squealed, waving the envelope in his face.

"Chloé..."

"And it's going to be so romantic! Remember that you have to wear a jacket. And I have just the cocktail dress for the occasion. It's red and sparkly and cut down to—"

"Chloé!"

"Yes, Adrikins?" Chloé batted her eyelashes at him.

"Listen, this has to stop."

"What are you talking about?"

"Chloé we aren't dating. We have never been dating. And I have no intention of ever going on a date with you," Adrien said firmly.

"What? Don't be ridiculous. Of course we're going. Do you even know how hard it is to get a reservation?" Chloé insisted with a nervous laugh.

"No, we're not." He answered, simply.

"N-not?" Chloé's eyes darted between him and Marinette. "Is it because of _her?!"_ She demanded, pointing an accusatory finger at Marinette. "Don't tell me you two are actually going out!" She laughed derisively.

Adrien's anger began to rise. Usually he could tolerate Chloé's rude behavior with some patience. But she had been cruel to people he cared about one too many times now. And, whether she meant to or not, she was forcing him to say something which could give pain to nobody but herself.

"Yes, we are. I asked Marinette to go out with me, and she said yes," he put an arm around Marinette and gently pulled her close to his side, to illustrate the truth of his words. "Marinette is more kind, talented, and wonderful than you could possibly understand. And much better than I deserve. And if you can't find it in yourself to treat the people I care about with some decency, then I don't think we can be friends anymore."

He released Marinette, turned, and stalked up the stairs into the school before he could say anything he might really regret.

Marinette hurried to catch up to him, and surprised him by taking his hand. "Are you okay?" she asked.

" _Me?"_ Adrien scoffed, then thought about it."Yeah, I guess I am the one who flipped out back there. I just can't believe that she would even see you that way... or think that I do. It was just the last straw I guess."

"Well, thank you... for saying those things about me. It was very sweet."

Adrien smiled down at her and squeezed her hand encouragingly, "I meant every word, you know."

"But you're wrong," she continued, a little sadly.

"What do you mean, I'm wrong?"

"You deserve much better than me."

Adrien stopped and looked at her, surprised. Did she really think so highly of him? Or so little of herself? He thought over a multitude of examples of her kindness and bravery and generosity, not just as Ladybug but as Marinette as well. She was always ready to defend the weak and stand up against bullies. She never hesitated to comfort her friends when they were down or encourage them to have faith in themselves. She always stood up for the truth and insisted on fair play. She was surprising and unpredictable and endearing.

He had intended to refute her; to explain to her some of the many ways she surpassed every other girl he knew. But he somehow couldn't get the words out.

She gazed back at him steadily, her beautiful bluebell eyes open and sincere, her hand still wrapped securely around his, her soft pink lips pulled up in a small smile

A wayward strand of her hair caught his attention, hovering around the vicinity of her collarbone, drawing his eyes to the creamy smoothness of the skin at her neck. Adrien hesitantly reached out and captured the errant strand of hair, tucking it gently behind her ear.

Marinette's breath caught as his fingertips lightly grazed her cheek and hovered there for a moment, tracing her jawline.

"I really don't know why it took me so long to see you," he said softly, moving closer to her and running his fingers back up her jaw to rest on her neck. He didn't really have any idea of what he was doing. But he found himself moving closer still, until all he could see were Marinette's unbelievably blue eyes, her slightly flushed ivory skin, and pink lips which parted invitingly as he bent toward her with his own.

And that's when the screaming started outside.


	10. Chapter 10

As one, Adrien and Marinette turned and looked out the front entrance. Their classmates were scrambling in all directions, fleeing frantically from something that was apparently just outside, but couldn't be seen through the doorway.

Adrien dashed toward the door, but Marinette pulled him back. "No! What if it's a villain? Run! Hide!" She yelled.

"Don't you understand?" He yelled back. "It's probably Chloé! And if she's mad at anyone, it's you!"

There was a strange sound, like a surge of electrical power, then more screaming. Adrien saw two boys who were trying to run into the school get suddenly wrapped in glowing golden tendrils and lifted, kicking and flailing, into the air.

He had to make a quick decision. He could run to the locker room and hope to find a corner where no one would see him transform, or he could go outside and hope that he would be able to make it behind the wall between the stairs and the school. Maybe the few people remaining outside would be too distracted to notice him.

He looked toward the locker room and saw the crowd of students pouring into it seeking refuge, and that decided him.

He wrenched his hand free of Marinette and sprinted toward the door.

"Adrien! Come back! What are you doing?" She screamed.

But he was already through the door. He didn't waste any time looking around, but made a sharp left turn and leapt off the stairs.

The moment he was airborne, he heard that surge of electricity again and felt a strange sensation overtake him. He felt like he was falling, but the earth wasn't getting any closer. And at the same time, warm ropes of light wrapped around his body, pinning his arms to his sides.

The falling sensation eased a bit as the ropes started to take his weight, he struggled against them, trying to free his arms and feeling like a complete idiot for having been caught. His luminous binds moved, rotating him to face the opposite direction and he saw that he was tethered, like a dog on a leash, to the new akumatized villain.

It was Chloé of course. But she scarcely looked like Chloé Bourgeois anymore. Her golden hair cascading in gentle waves around her shoulders and back was scattered with baby pink flower petals and shining crystals. Her lips glistened soft pink which matched the long shimmering satin dress she wore. The front of her dress boasted lace-trimmed neckline that plunged down almost to her navel. Over her shoulders and trailing in her wake, a gossamer-fine train whispered over her skin and along the ground, sparkling with imbedded diamonds.

"Well, hello my darling Adrikins," She crooned. "I knew you would come to me. Don't worry, Obsession will take good care of you. You will be loved and appreciated forever. All of you will."

"Chloé let me go, please!" Adrien kicked his feet, desperately trying to work his arms free of the binds.

"I'm not Chloé anymore, sweetie. I'm Obsession. And I have just the place for you, my prized treasure."

Behind her, Adrien saw that she had probably thirty other boys bound just as he was, each one held on a glowing rope tether, and all the tethers held in her left hand. Many of them were struggling. Some seemed resigned to wait it out. One or two actually looked excited at the prospect of being Chloé's love slave.

She seemed to sort through them a bit, arranging the boys to her liking, then transferred Adrien's tether to her left hand and he floated over to her, in front of the other boys and closest to her side.

"Now, let's see who else we can find," she said lightly, as though suggesting a stroll in the park. She strode gracefully forward, her dress shimmering and sparkling in the sun as she walked.

They entered the courtyard, which was nearly deserted. The few students who were still there scrambled to hide behind the cement pillars around the perimeter.

"Aha!" Obsession flung her right hand toward them in a throwing motion, with the sound of crackling electricity more glowing cords whipped out of her hand and bound the boys before they could escape. She transferred their tethers to her left hand, adding them to her collection behind Adrien, who as still thrashing and kicking in his attempts to free himself. His struggles seemed to be making no difference whatsoever to his situation.

"Come out, my darlings. Obsession won't hurt you," she called in a sweet singsong voice, opening the door to the locker room. "You'll be safe and loved and appreciated at my side." She flung her right fist in a throwing motion again, and another fiery tendril whipped out. Shouts and yelling erupted from the locker room as she began snatching up all the boys before they could escape, binding them and dragging them along with her.

"Cut it out, Chloé. Let those boys, go!"

The voice calling from behind them filled Adrien with a mixture of relief and despair. She was here! But he couldn't get away to help her!

Obsession turned to see who had spoken to her. Ladybug was striding toward them, spinning her yo-yo. Her eyes narrowed and calculating.

"Let them go? But I'm the only one who can really appreciate them. They would be wasted without me!"

"Listen to me! You're not yourself! Let me help you!" Ladybug pleaded, eagerly.

"I don't need your help, Ladybug. But...I do need your earrings!" Obsession whipped one of her cords toward Ladybug. But the heroine had lightning fast reflexes and leapt up out of the way easily.

"Try to be reasonable, Chloé!" She called, now perched on the balustrade above them.

"I'm not Chloé, I'm Obsession. And every boy in Paris will be mine! Or... at least all the cute ones." She added, with a slight trace of her former self.

Ladybug rolled her eyes and then looked around, like she was looking for someone.

 _Of course,_ Adrien thought. _She's looking for me. But Chat isn't going to show up until I can get out of this!_ He struggled some more, but it did no good and he started to feel hopeless.

Meanwhile, Ladybug jumped down to the courtyard, deflecting Obsessions attacks with her spinning yo-yo, and drew the villain outside into the open. For several minutes they battled in front of the school. Adrien could tell, just because he understood how Ladybug thought, that she was sizing up her enemy, learning how her power worked, and trying to figure out where the akuma was hidden.

Her eyes darted in his direction a few times, but all Adrien could do was gaze back up at her plaintively, silently begging her forgiveness for being an idiot.

Ladybug continued to dance around the villain staying just out of reach of the whipping glowing cords being flung at her. How long this went on, Adrien didn't know. But after a while Ladybug started to look like she was getting exasperated.

Eventually Obsession stopped attacking Ladybug directly and started trying to collect new victims for her collection. So Ladybug was forced to just follow her around like a parent with a child in a candy store, trying to reason with her, and blocking her from snatching up every man or teenage boy she came across.

Finally, Ladybug seemed to take decisive action. She dropped down about twenty feet away from Obsession, tossed her yo-yo into the air and shouted, "lucky charm!"

Adrien couldn't tell what the object was that her miraculous power had produced, but something small dropped into her hands. It sort of looked like...a book?

"Hey, Obsession," Ladybug called. "Do you play favorites?"

"I love all of my boys!" Obsession retorted defiantly.

"Sure, but I bet you love Adrien Agreste the most."

What? Adrien had a bad feeling about this.

Obsession balked and looked at Adrien, but said nothing.

"But he's dating someone else now, isn't he?" Ladybug continued. Obsessions fists clenched in anger. "A girl named Marinette, right? You want to know her secret? I have her diary right here." She held up the lucky charm, a well-worn, pink, heart-shaped notebook.

"What? Give it to me!" Obsession demanded.

"Well, okay, but only so I can have a break from following you around while you read it." And Ladybug tossed the book to her.

For a moment, while the notebook soared through the air, Obsession seemed to deliberate which hand she needed to use to catch it. She only had a second to decide. At the last moment she released the glowing cords in her left hand just in time to snatch the book out of the air.

As soon as she wasn't touching them anymore, the strands dissolved and Adrien, along with the rest of the men and boys, dropped to the ground, free. They scattered like ants, shouting and yelling in fear while Obsession turned on them, ready to capture them again.

But Ladybug was too fast for her. She swung her yo-yo around to intercept the glowing whip at every blow, giving them a chance to escape.

Adrien, weary from struggling with his binds, scrambled behind the nearest parked car and whispered urgently, "Plagg, claws out."

"It's about time!" The kwami griped as he swirled around. And then he vanished into the silver ring on Adrien's right hand.

Instantly Adrien's weariness vanished, the world took on strange new colors, the sounds around him intensified, and he felt the familiar leather armor encompass his body. Chat Noir leapt out from behind the parked car and perched on the hood, getting his bearings on the battle unfolding before him.

Obsession was furious, focusing her attacks on Ladybug now and ignoring the fleeing boys around her.

"Haven't we defeated her once before, already?" Chat asked. "You have cat to be kitten me right meow!" Okay, so maybe he'd laid that one on a little thick. He chuckled and leapt into action, distracting Obsession from Ladybug to give his partner a chance to breathe.

Ladybug smiled at him. "I hate to say it, but I'm really relieved to be hearing your terrible cat puns!"

Chat laughed. "They are terrible, aren't they, M'lady? _Cat_ -astrophic even! Sorry I'm late again. I was a bit tied up." Did he really just say that? He must have an addiction to puns.

Together, they leapt up to a balcony overhanging the street, out of reach of Obsession for a moment.

"Um, so do we know where the akuma is?" Chat asked.

"Whatever it is has got to be in her right hand," Ladybug said. "And I've already used my lucky charm, so we need to act fast."

"What is it that she wants?" As if he didn't already know.

"She was collecting men and boys. But in particular she wants Adrien Agreste."

"Turned her down, did he?"

"Yes... but. But that's not all," she hesitated and looked up at Chat. She looked suddenly sad and apologetic. "Adrien recently started dating Marinette."

Chat wasn't supposed to know this already. But he couldn't pretend to be heartbroken over the news. That would be an outright lie. He just looked at her and smiled kindly. "Well, I think that Adrien Agreste has fantastic taste."

Obsession raged from the street below and started levitating herself toward them.

"Seriously? How is it that they all manage to be able to fly?" Ladybug griped. Her earrings started beeping a warning.

"Do you think you can get one more use out of that lucky charm?" Chat asked.

She looked down at the street where the notebook lay, and then back at Chat. "I've got an idea! Let her catch you, but jump into her left arm. Say you love her or something. I'll take care of the rest. Just make sure you are holding onto her left arm!"

Obsession was just coming level with them.

Chat nodded in agreement and Ladybug leapt out of the balcony toward the notebook.

He looked up at Obsession and gulped. She raised her right hand. The strange electrical noise started. And Chat leapt, catching her on her left side.

"Oh, Obsession, you're so beautiful!" he gushed. "I can't stand it. I have to be with you! You are everything I ever wanted. Please say I can stay with you forever!"

"Oh, there, there, kitty cat. Of course you belong with me," she crooned, lowering them down to the street.

"Wow, Obsession!" Ladybug called, looking at the open notebook in her hands. "Did you know that Marinette has been crushing over Adrien for years?"

"What?" The villain looked up from stroking Chat's hair and stared at her adversary.

"Yeah, apparently she collects pictures of him and puts them all over her bedroom, too. Kinda creepy, don't you think?"

Chat wondered where she was going with this. Both of those things were true. Though putting his pictures all over her room was hardly any more creepy than the way he had always stalked the Ladyblog, hoping to find new pictures of Ladybug.

"Does it say that in there?" Obsession demanded.

"And... _what?"_ Ladybug stared at the page in mock scandalized astonishment. Then she closed her eyes and shook her head in disbelief. "I can't even... I just can't."

"What? What does it say?"

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you!" Ladybug tossed the book to her.

Obsession grabbed Chat tightly, as though determined to not let him go, and reached out with her right hand to catch the notebook. As she did so, a ball of crumpled black paper dropped out and landed on the ground.

In a flash, Ladybug's yo-yo shot out, the string wound around Obsession's feet, redirecting the sphere to hit the wad of paper from behind, knocking it toward Ladybug. She smashed it under her foot and the velvety black akuma fluttered out.

"Time to de-evilize!" she announced. She opened up her yoyo, swung it around, and caught the akuma, purified it, and released it with her customary, "bye, bye little butterfly."

The arm holding Chat released him, he looked over to see a very confused Chloé, dazed and shaking her head.

"What happened to me. Where am I?" She asked.

Chat put his arm around her shoulders reassuringly. "Don't worry, Miss. Bourgeois. Everything will be fine now."

"Chat Noir? Ladybug?"

"Mind if I take that?" Ladybug asked, indicating the notebook in Chloé's hand.

"Oh, my gosh! Ladybug! We need to get a picture together!" Chloé handed over the notebook and began digging in her bag for her phone. "I've got to prove to everyone that we're totally BFFs!"

Ladybug just tossed the notebook into the air and shouted, "Miraculous Ladybug!" And the glimmering, shining motes of light swarmed all around them.

Ladybug's earrings beeped again. "I need to get going. I'll see you later, Chat Noir." She cast her yo-yo and swung away.

"But wait, a picture!" Chloé called.

"Maybe next time," Chat chuckled, and he vaulted after Ladybug, catching up with her on the roof of the low building next to the school.

"Wait, Ladybug!" He called, and she turned back to him.

"Listen, Chat, I'm sorry you had to find out like that, I never meant to hurt you..."

"No, wait! Listen to me. It's...it's okay. Really. I don't want you to feel bad. Or feel like you owe me some explanation. You don't. If you would rather be with Adrien than with me... I can live with that."

Ladybug looked at him, her eyes shining with tears. Her mouth opened a little, like there was something she wanted to say, but she couldn't get it out.

Her miraculous beeped once more, then her transformation lifted. Shimmering pinkish light moved up her body and Tikki flew out of her earring. Marinette caught her exhausted kwami and lowered her gently into her purse.

"Come On. I'll help you get down," Chat said. He led her to the back of the building, extended his staff over the side, took Marinette into his arm, and lowered them both to the street below.

When their feet touched the ground, Marinette held onto him for a moment and kissed his cheek before releasing him.

"Chat, I think I must have always taken you for granted," she said quietly. Then she broke away and ran to the school, leaving Chat feeling a bit stunned.

When he got back to school, Adrien was greeted by a very angry Marinette. She was waiting for him by the classroom door with folded arms and a dark scowl. The only time he had ever seen her even remotely as furious with him was when they had first met, and she'd thought that he had been sabotaging her seat with chewing gum.

"What were you thinking, running out there like that?" She demanded.

"I, um..."

"Don't you know how dangerous these villains can be? Haven't you seen what they can do to people?"

"Yeah, I know... I just..."

"You just think that Ladybug and Chat Noir will set everything right, so you don't have to worry about it, is that it?"

Geez, she was sounding a lot like his father right now.

"You're right, Marinette. It was a stupid thing to do. I shouldn't have run out there."

The heat of her glare diminished slightly.

"I just... I saw all those people screaming and running. I wanted to help, and I got reckless," he confessed.

Her anger subsided. She looked thoughtful for a second, then rueful. "Well, you aren't the first one to ever make that mistake, I guess. But I was really worried about you."

Adrien had a difficult time paying attention in school. He wondered what Ladybug had meant when she'd said that she took him for granted. And he wondered what it meant that she had confessed to Chat that Marinette and Adrien were dating. Was she telling him that there was no chance for the two of them, because she was dating someone else? She had seemed to be sorry when she said it, was it only for Chat's supposed broken heart? Or did Marinette regret agreeing to go out with Adrien?

Adrien was also distracted by what had been interrupted by the akuma. He hadn't been planning on kissing Marinette. But he certainly would have done so if all hell hadn't broken loose behind them. And Marinette hadn't seemed opposed to the idea at all. She had been moving in for the kiss, too. And, of course, she had obviously been very worried when he went and got himself captured.

He was caught several times in his distraction by his teachers. Miss Bustier suggested that he might want to go home early after his ordeal that morning. He had, after all, been abducted by a boy-crazy evil villain. But he wanted to stay at school. Nothing sounded less appealing to him than sitting in that vast, vacant house all alone on his birthday.

When lunchtime arrived he did go home, though. A small, stubborn part of his mind still hoped that his father would make an appearance in the dining hall for lunch, at least to say happy birthday or to see if Adrien liked his third fountain pen. But only a covered dish of food greeted him when he arrived.

He ate in silence. The tapping and scraping of his utensils on the plate mixed with the ticking of the enormous grandfather clock which stood sentry against the wall behind him and echoed hollowly throughout the room.

Adrien's phone rang, making him jump a little in surprise. It was Nino.

"Hey, Nino. What is it?"

"Hey, dude! I just got a call from that Mrs. Blanc, you know, the real estate agent?"

"Yeah, what did she say?"

"Well, she said there's some other people looking at that apartment, and she thinks they are going to sign. So if we want the place, we need to hurry and sign the lease right away."

Adrien thought it was likely that this might me a tactic to force their hand, and get them to sign for the apartment before they could change their mind or find a batter place. But he also remembered how long it had taken him to find a suitable place at all within their price range, and how very much he had liked it during the tour.

"Nino, I don't have the money for it right now. I'll need to pay a visit to the bank and probably my family's attorney to make sure everything in the trust gets transferred to me. If you want to sign right now, you're going to have to foot the bill for the upfront cost until I can pay you back."

"That is totally fine with me, dude. I know you're good for it. Can you meet me at the apartment in ten minutes? We are totally doing this! I'm so psyched!"

"Sure, I'm on my way."

He grabbed his bag, chugged his water, and ran out the door. The Gorilla tried to stop him, to make him get back in the car. But Adrien didn't want his bodyguard to know where he was going. If his father found out what was going on, things might get wildly out of Adrien's control. So he hastily waved and shouted, "it's okay, I'll get there on my own!" And he made a break for it, knowing full well that this would be unacceptable to his father. He hoped The Gorilla wasn't going to be getting into trouble on his account.

The apartment they were planning on renting was several kilometers away from his father's estate, much too far away for Adrien to run there. So he ducked behind some bushes as soon as the coast was clear.

"Sorry, Plagg. I promise to give you extra cheese tonight, okay?"

"Kid, you need to get yourself a bicycle or something!"

"Claws out!"

A couple minutes later, Chat Noir dropped into the alleyway around the corner from the apartment, and Adrien walked casually out onto the sidewalk. Nino and Mrs. Blanc were already there, waiting outside the entrance to the apartment building.

"Cool, you made it! You got here fast, bro!" Nino said, noticing Adrien walking toward them.

"Yeah, let's do this!"

Mrs. Blanc took them back up into the apartment where they looked over everything again, to make sure it was all in good condition. When the boys were satisfied, she went over the terms of their agreement with them and asked if they had any questions.

"That's, um, kind of a lot to remember, though," Nino said, frowning.

"Don't worry, dear," Mrs. Blanc said, kindly. "As a tenant, you'll get this folder with all the information you need and phone numbers to call. And if you can't figure something out, you can always call me or the property manager and we can help."

"Well, okay then. Unless you have any questions, bro." Nino said to Adrien.

"You said 'yourself or the property manager', but who owns the building?" Adrien asked.

Mrs. Blanc shuffled through some of the papers and adjusted her glasses. "Ah, here it is. Yes, S. A. A. owns the building. That's a corporation, it could have shares owned by an individual or by a group of people. They won't be personally dealing with tenants, though. The management company takes care of all the business of running the building."

"That sounds fine to me, I guess. Okay, I'm ready."

Adrien and Nino signed the lease, and Nino filled out a check for the two months rent and security deposit. Mrs. Blanc handed them their keys and the folder with all the information they needed for their apartment, and then shook their hands.

They walked downstairs with her and bid her farewell.

"Dude," Nino said in awe as Mrs. Blanc drove away. "I think we actually just became roommates!"


	11. Chapter 11

Nino gave Adrien a ride back to school in his van, the back of which was packed full with his DJ equipment.

"You aren't going to keep all that stuff in the apartment are you?" Adrien asked, thinking that his friend wouldn't have anywhere left to sleep if all that stuff was in his room.

"Nah, man. I'm not gonna be carrying a PA system up and down those stairs every day. I'll leave it locked in the van. But I am totally going to start moving in tonight. You're cool with me taking the bedroom on the right, yeah?"

"Sure, I like the one with the balcony access anyway."

Nino grinned and winked at him. "Yeah, I saw how much you and Marinette liked that balcony. So, do you think you'll be coming over after school?"

"I would like to, just to start bringing a few of my things. I have a lot of stuff. If my father lets me keep it all I'll need to sort through it and figure out what I really need."

"If you want help, just give me a holler. I do have a moving van."

Adrien laughed and gestured to the cram packed compartment behind them. "Not that you could move anything in that."

"Nah, my old man would let me borrow his garage to stash this stuff. If I needed it to be able to move out, that is." His carefree manner faded a little bit. Adrien understood why. Nino's father had always considered his son to be a bit too undisciplined and unmotivated. This is why Nino was so pressured to move out and get his own place. His father had insisted that he could not live at home anymore once he graduated. He was being kicked out of the nest so to speak.

The rest of the school day seemed to drag on forever. Adrien did his best to focus on his lessons. He tried taking notes, but found himself sketching random things, or trying to figure out how the layout of his new apartment would work with his furniture, or writing Marinette's name surrounded by hearts and ladybugs. When he realized what he had done he hastily scratched it out. That one was too sappy even for him.

When the school day finally ended he climbed into his father's car and rode home with The Gorilla. His bodyguard usually never spoke a word, but somehow Adrien felt that his silence on the ride home was a lot more ominous than usual. He didn't dare say anything, though, for fear of digging himself into a hole.

When he got home, he went straight to his room and dug out a few pieces of luggage. He decided that a hiking pack, which he hadn't used for years, along with a rolling suitcase would be good to start with and he began packing.

Several outfits worth of clothing for all seasons, toiletries, a few books, his laptop and chargers, an old handmade quilt that had been his mother's, his pillow, and a few pairs of shoes made it into his bag before he heard a knock on his door.

"Yes?" He called, knowing it would be useless to attempt to hide what he was doing now.

His father's assistant, Nathalie, opened the door. She surveyed the partially packed luggage and various possessions scattered over Adrien's floor with pursed lips, but didn't comment. "Your father wishes to speak with you," she announced.

 _Of course he does,_ Adrien thought.

Once again Adrien followed Nathalie through the house to his father's study. Normally the walk there would bring on feelings of apprehension, and sometimes even guilt if he knew he'd been breaking the rules. But this time the only emotion Adrien could discern with any certainty was anger.

There were other feelings percolating through his mind as well. He knew that. But he couldn't get at them through the fury that he felt for his father at that moment. His father, who had sent him the same stupid pen for his birthday over and over and hadn't even bothered to give it in person. His father, who spent all his time locked up in his office or away for business and never even bothered to eat lunch with him in the dining room even when they were in the same house together. His father who wanted to keep him caged in like some sort of endangered animal. His father, who wouldn't even talk to him about his mother or what had happened to her other than to say, "there was an accident, I'll explain it to you when you're older." As though Adrien were some sort of infant who had to be coddled and protected from the truth.

Adrien struggled to calm himself before they arrived at his father's study. He wanted to have a clear head for whatever conversation they might have. He didn't want to do or say anything he would regret. And he didn't want to prove to his father, with his temper, that he really was still a child.

Nathalie knocked on the door and his father called for them to enter.

Adrien took a breath and stepped in, carefully keeping his expression calm.

"Thank you, Nathalie. You may leave us now," Gabriel said, looking up from his computer screen and standing to walk around his desk.

Nathalie closed the door, and they were alone.

"You sent for me, father?"

"Yes, of course I did. And I'm sure you know why."

"Because I decided not to take the car back to school after lunch. Is that why?"

"We had an agreement, did we not? You would be permitted to attend public school only if you never went there without your bodyguard."

"Yes, I remember."

"Do you have any explanation for your disobedience?"

"Well, I could say that I wasn't going directly to the school, so technically when I was leaving the house I wasn't violating that agreement. But we both know that's contrived. I know you want my bodyguard with me at all times when I'm away from the house. So the truth is that I don't like that arrangement anymore. So I think we need to make an adjustment to the agreement."

Gabriel Agreste stared at his son in astonishment. "That is out of the question. I will not have you leaving this house unprotected."

Adrien shook his head, surprised to find that he was keeping his calm rather well. At least he hadn't raised his voice yet. "I won't agree to that, father."

"You seem to think that this is some sort of a negotiation!"

"And you seem to think that it isn't." Adrien gazed steadily at his father, surprised to see a flicker of fear in his eyes. Was it starting to sink in? Did he sense what was coming?

Gabriel collected himself, took a breath and walked back behind is desk, as though the piece of furniture could lend him some power or authority over his son. "Adrien, while you are under my roof, you will abide by my rules. It is dangerous out there. And I absolutely refuse to let you wander about the city by yourself. You must take your bodyguard with you. And I must be informed of your intended whereabouts."

For some unknown reason, Adrien felt his eyes grow moist and a lump form in his throat. He swallowed hard, took a breath, and with great effort kept his voice even. "Then you leave me no other choice. I will not be living under your roof anymore. I'll move out today if I have to. Since I'm eighteen now, you can't legally stop me."

Gabriel looked as stunned as though his son had struck him.

Adrien felt agitation creeping in, disturbing his calm, muddying the waters. He turned to leave before he could break down, but hesitated at the door. "Thanks for the birthday present by the way. You gave me a pen, in case you didn't know."

Back in his room, Adrien hurried to pack more of his things before anyone could stop him. Another blanket, useful tools like scissors and a knife, a picture of his mother and himself taken when he was twelve, some washcloths and a towel, every single box of cheese he had stashed in his small refrigerator.

"But what are _you_ going to eat?" Plagg asked.

"I don't know. I'll have to buy some food once I get some money," Adrien said, preferring not to think about problems like that at the moment.

"I'll share the cheese with you. I don't mind." Plagg volunteered, nobly.

Adrien chuckled, then there was another knock on the door and Plagg zoomed back into his pocket.

"Who is it?" Adrien called.

"It's Ms. Sancoeur."

"Come in?" He was hesitant. Had his father sent her? Was she going to try to persuade him to stay?

Nathalie opened the door and stepped in, carrying an expensive looking leather briefcase.

"What is it?" Adrien asked.

"I have something for you," she said briskly, looking a bit nervous. "If your father knew... I would probably be fired. But it's legally yours now, so you should have it." She walked over to Adrien's desk and opened the case.

Adrien wasn't sure what all he was looking at. Some was easy to recognize, like the stack of bills bound together in the corner. But there were document folders and envelopes and a set of small keys and other mysterious items all organized very neatly.

"This is all yours. The money you've earned since you were a small child has not sat idly in a bank account. Your father invested almost all of it in your name. And with the profits he purchased more investments: shares of stock, real estate, gold, and he put a good portion in mutual funds. As for the cash here, well, I hope you don't mind, I thought you might need some, so I bought a couple hundred of your shares of Gabriel stock. It should be enough to help you get by for a couple of months at least."

Adrien was astonished. "But... but why are you doing this?"

Nathalie sighed. "I've worked for your father for a long time. And I knew your mother. I think she would want someone to help you when she can't. And the man your father used to be... he wouldn't want things to end up the way they have. I'm doing it for him, too."

"Wow, thank you." He couldn't think of anything else to say.

"You're welcome, Adrien. Good luck."

And so, about a half hour later, Adrien loaded his things into a Taxi, climbed in, and drove away from the Agreste estate.

"Wow, this is really happening," he murmured to himself with a sense off mingled excitement and apprehension as he watched the giant house disappear from view.

When Adrien arrived at the apartment Nino was thrilled that his friend was moving in right away and helped to haul his luggage up the stairs. When they entered Adrien looked around at the emptiness and thought that the apartment didn't look quite ready to be lived in yet. Nino had scattered some of his belongings through the living room and kitchen. And in Nino's bedroom a twin sized bed sat partially assembled with the mattress leaning against the wall. Adrien's room, of course, was completely empty still.

Adrien explained to Nino about the disagreement he'd had with his father, and Nino completely understood. "Pretty much the opposite of what happened to me, then, right?" He laughed. "My dad can't wait for me to get out, so I do. Your dad wants to keep you locked in, so you escape."

Adrien was still eyeing the apartment with some uncertainty. "Listen, Nino, what else do we need here? I mean, right away? I have some cash now, we should go get the things we need before it gets too late."

"Yeah, that sounds like an idea. I have a list started here."

Adrien was surprised at how long the list ended up being. He had been mostly thinking about food, but it hadn't occurred to him that they would need to buy things like cookware, toilet paper, cleaning supplies, or a first aid kit.

"And we gotta get a coffee press, bro, because I will totally be zombified if I don't get my coffee in the morning," Nino added.

At the convenience store across the street Adrien and Nino discovered many more things that they hadn't thought to put on their list. And they had to pare it all down to just what they could manage to carry between them.

"So, what do you want to eat tonight?" Adrien asked, when they made it to the small grocery selection the store offered.

"Well, we don't have much to cook with." Nino said, doubtfully. "I guess we can just do ramen, until we get more pots and pans and stuff."

"Ramen?" Adrien asked, looking around the shelves.

"What? Don't tell me you've never had ramen?"

"Um... I think I had some in Japan when I was little."

Nino chuckled and tossed a few plastic packages of instant noodles into his basket. "Trust me, dude. We can totally live off this stuff if we have to."

"Nino, I have a confession to make."

"What's up?"

"I have never cooked anything in my life." Adrien told him, bluntly.

Nino laughed and Adrien joined in. It really was absurd. After all those private tutors and lessons in everything from piano to Chinese, he'd never learned something as essential as cooking.

"Well, I kinda suck at cooking, too, but I got the basics down. I make some killer coffee and boiling water isn't too hard. Speaking of..." Nino snagged a bag of coffee grounds off the shelf and tossed it into his basket next to the coffee press they had been fortunate enough to find.

For the next few days Adrien struggled with balancing his school life and trying to get settled into his new home. The first night was very rough. They had forgot to buy measuring cups, and Adrien attempted to make the instant noodles by guessing how much water to use. Nino told him he just had to boil the noodles and add the seasonings, so that's what he did, and the result had been a mushy bland disaster.

Sleeping had been awful, too. All he had was a pillow and two blankets. He tried sleeping with one blanket underneath him as a makeshift mattress, but he woke cramped, cold, and sore anyway.

He took the briefcase Nathalie had given him to the bank at his first opportunity, where he found he already owned a couple of safe deposit boxes. He stashed the valuables and opened his own savings and checking accounts so he wouldn't be carrying around so much cash.

He also took Plagg's advice and purchased a bicycle. Nino would have given him rides to school in his van, but Adrien knew that it would cost a lot in gas in the long run. Plus Nino would be needing his van to get to his gigs, and Adrien needed to have his own means of getting around the city without resorting to transforming into Chat Noir.

At school, Marinette was as friendly as ever. She still looked at him like she couldn't believe he would Even notice her. But there was a touch of sadness there, too, which he couldn't understand. And whenever he asked her about it, she brushed it off as nothing. She and Alya visited their apartment the day after he and Nino had moved in. Marinette's father sent a huge basket of croissants, rolls, pies, and other pastries as a housewarming gift. And Alya promised to give Nino and Adrien some basic cooking lessons. Her mother being a chef, she had learned how to cook from a very young age.

When Thursday evening came around Adrien was relieved at how easy it was to just tell Nino he was going out for a while, with no need to come up with excuses or do any sneaking. He just grabbed his key, walked out the door, and knew that he could stay out as long as he needed to. It felt very freeing.

Chat got to the rendezvous point shortly before Ladybug and sat to watch the sunset behind the Eiffel Tower. Had it really only been a week since he'd found out that Ladybug and Marinette were the same girl? It seemed like a lifetime ago. And since then, he'd asked Marinette to go out with him, they had nearly kissed once, and she had become comfortable enough with him to rake him over the coals when he well deserved it.

He smiled at the memory. Not that he was glad that he had caused her to worry. But the fact that she had been so frightened for him, and comfortable enough to give him a thorough tongue lashing for it, meant a lot to him.

A soft thud and light tapping of footsteps let him know that Ladybug had arrived.

"Good evening, M'lady," he greeted.

"Hello, Chat," she answered and came to sit with him. She looked a little nervous.

"What's the matter?" He asked.

"Um... nothing really."

Chat frowned. "You don't have to tell me what it is. But I can tell that something is up."

"Yeah, you're right," she sighed. "It's so stupid. Just forget it. We should talk business before we have to get home."

Chat furrowed his brow, then shrugged. "Okay then. Anything new on your end?"

"If you don't count nearly dying and then almost having my near-death experience publicized to all of Paris?"

"It's a good thing that incident didn't get blogged," he said, grimacing at the memory. "Can you imagine the chaos?"

"Well, it actually did. Just not on the Ladyblog." She winced as she said it.

"What?!"

"Someone took a video of us on that rooftop and sent it to the blogger who publishes the Ladyblog. I got to her before she published it. But the guy who took the original video posted it online anyway. A lot of people are saying it has to be fake, but it still has a lot of hits."

"Well, I don't think there's anything that can be done about that now." He said.

"No, I guess not. But that reminds me. Have you thought anymore about what we ought to do about you knowing my real identity?"

"Yes, I have."

"Any ideas? Because I've got nothing."

"Just one. I think I shouldn't visit your house as Chat Noir unless it's an emergency."

"Well...obviously! Why would you even be visiting my house, anyway?"

Chat grinned slyly at her and raised his eyebrows. She punched him in the arm and they laughed together.

Chat leaned back against the wall and sighed. "It really is an amazing view from up here, isn't it?"

"Yeah, it is."

They were quiet for a few minutes while the pink sky in the West deepened to orange and the streetlights flickered on below them.

"There's one more thing," Ladybug said.

"What is it?"

"There haven't been any akuma attacks since Monday. Have you noticed?"

Chat shrugged. "I guess so. But that's a good thing, right?"

"Yes. But, we never caught Hawkmoth. If he isn't akumatizing people, I wonder why. Does it mean he's given up? Has he moved somewhere else? Does he have a new plan to get our miraculouses?"

"Or, maybe he's just been busy for a few days?" Chat suggested.

"Maybe you're right. It just seems strange to me. Since the beginning we haven't gone more than a day or two without an attack. And now it's been three days. Maybe I'm just making something out of nothing."

"I don't think he would move out of the city," Chat said. "He knows we're here. Why would he go somewhere else? And I doubt he's given up. If anything has changed, it's probably a new plan. But I think it's most likely that nothing has changed and he just hasn't gotten a chance to akumatize anyone for a few days."

"Yeah, I guess you're right."

"So..." Chat grinned at her and she looked up at him curiously. "Have you discovered my real identity yet?"

Ladybug rolled her eyes.

"I'll take that as a 'no.'"

"I'm not supposed to be trying to figure it out, Chat. I never said that I was going to try..."

"And yet here you are, clearly not denying that you want to know, and not saying you haven't been trying to work it out."

"I've actually been kind of busy lately. So I haven't had a lot of time to think about it."

"But you have been thinking about it."

She she rolled her eyes, but didn't deny it.

"Busy with what, I wonder?" Chat went on. "With your new boyfriend, maybe?"

Ladybug blushed and bit her lip. "I wasn't going to bring it up. It's not like it's any of your business." She groaned and hit her forehead with her fist. "I'm sorry. That was rude. I didn't mean that, Chat. Not the way it sounded anyway."

"You really like him?" He asked.

"Yeah, I do."

"He's rich, isn't he? And good looking?"

"No! I mean... yes. But it's not that. He's... he's kind, even to people who are really awful and don't deserve it. I could learn some of that from him, if I'm being honest. And he's so smart. And even though he grew up with a lot of money he doesn't think he's better than other people at all."

"Hmm," Chat rested his head back against the wall and watched the sun lazily sink below the horizon. "Sounds pretty serious," he noted.

"I... I guess so." Ladybug said, uncertainly. "We haven't been on an official date yet. But..."

"You've been in love with him for years, right? Pictures of him all over your room?"

She was quiet for a moment. "Yeah, what I pretended to read from that diary was true. It was easier than trying to make up something on the spot."

"So...do you think you might marry him someday?"

She looked up at him surprised at the question, "What? Yes, of course! I mean, no. I mean... Maybe? But... I don't know. Like I said, we haven't even been on a real date yet. And what kind of a question is that, anyway?"

"I was just thinking..." Chat fiddled with the claws at the ends of his fingers, not looking at Ladybug as he spoke. "Well, if you married him, you might have to eventually tell him that you're Ladybug. I mean, what if there's an akuma attack on your wedding night or something?"

In his mind Chat saw a bright aisle festooned with clusters of white and pink blossoms. He heard a chorus joyous music playing in the background. He saw Marinette blushing but happy and wearing a flowing white dress with delicate flowers in her hair. She strode forward on her father's arm while friends and family smiled on. And he saw a nameless and faceless man waiting to take her hand.

Chat felt like some sort of monstrous beast had reared it's head and roared in his chest. A surge of rage and jealousy threatened to overtake him. He took a deep breath and blew it out slowly through his mouth.

"I... I hadn't thought of that." Ladybug frowned and brought her knees up, hugging them to her chest.

"I've got a nice little solution for you, though," Chat said, putting some of his old friendly swagger back into his voice. "You can just figure out who I am, and then marry me."

Ladybug laughed with him, a little weakly. Then she sighed and whispered, so quietly that Chat was certain he wasn't meant to hear her, "She'll be a very lucky girl, whoever she is."


	12. Chapter 12

Many things happened the following week. And many things didn't happen, too.

In school, it was time for final exams. Everyone was scrambling to get last minute studying in and spending sleepless nights cramming every ounce of information they could into their heads. On the surface Marinette was as adoring as ever toward Adrien, but there was still that inexplicable touch of sadness about her. And it seemed to Adrien that the more he tried to comfort her or get close to her, the more an invisible wall went up between them. It was like she was trying to prevent their relationship from becoming anything very serious. And it was breaking his heart, because if Ladybug refused Chat Noir and Marinette didn't want a serious relationship with Adrien, then there was no hope at all for them to be together.

At home, Adrien was making an effort to get his apartment more livable. He had managed to get some of his furniture out of his father's house. Nino had driven them there one day when his father hadn't been home. But The Gorilla had been there. And he'd seemed perfectly content to help carry Adrien's desk, chair, and sofa out to the van for him. His old bed would not possibly fit in his new tiny bedroom. Adrien had to have a smaller one delivered from a furniture store.

Keeping the apartment clean proved to be surprisingly challenging. Having lived his entire life surrounded by hired servants who cooked, cleaned, organized, and even shopped for him, maintaining his own living space was something entirely new to Adrien. There were things getting dirty and needing to be cleaned that he had never thought could get dirty to begin with. Like the walls near light switches, faucets on sinks, the glass on mirrors, the windowsills, the grout around the tiles in the shower, the inside of the refrigerator, and the spaces between the cushions of his sofa. And while he was motivated to learn how to keep everything as clean as he was accustomed to, Nino seemed to be just as equally unmotivated to lift a finger. Unless something was particularly disgusting, or hindering his work somehow, Nino seemed content to let it be and deal with it at some later, unspecified time.

This started to cause a bit of conflict between the two friends. Adrien argued that Nino had been raised by parents who taught him how to do all these things, so it should be easy for him to clean the apartment. Nino argued that if Adrien wanted the apartment to be as spotless as the Agreste estate, then he had better hire housekeeping staff to do the work just like he'd had at said estate. In the end, they came to a grudging agreement that, on the first weekend of every month, Nino would make sure that their shared areas were deep cleaned. And in the meantime, Adrien would have to tolerate some crumbs, dust, and fingerprints unless he wanted to clean it up himself. Neither was particularly happy with the arrangement, but Adrien philosophized that this meant it must be a good compromise.

When it came time to do laundry, Adrien decided that buying a washer for their clothes would be a good investment rather than spending the money on going to the laundromat every week. When the new machine was installed, however, he discovered that he had no clue how to wash his own clothes. And when he finally got the machine working and his laundry clean, he had to untangle their new clothes drying rack, assemble it, and then figure out where to put it so that he and Nino wouldn't be tripping over a wire rack full of wet laundry all the time.

It had been a huge relief when they finally purchased some cookware and stocked their kitchen with real food. No matter what Nino said, Adrien did not think it was possible to live on instant ramen noodles. In fact he never wanted see another package of the stuff ever again.

Alya kept her promise, too. One evening, she and Marinette came over and taught the boys how to cook. Alya showed them how to follow simple recipes so they could expand the variety in their diet. And Marinette showed them how to make a few of her favorite dishes. Adrien got so excited when his quiche was ready that he forgot he couldn't just grab it out of the oven with his bare hands and he accidentally scalded his fingers.

There were also certain things that Adrien noticed were not happening that week. His father, for one, had not attempted to contact him at all. Instead, one day Adrien received a packet of information in the mail for the upcoming fashion show. Since he was one of the models he needed to have the address for the venue, the time he was expected to be there, and a parking pass (even though he didn't have a car). Even though he'd been a model for the _Gabriel_ brand most of his life, he had never actually seen one of these packets before. It felt very strange to read through it like he was an outsider.

Also conspicuously missing were regular akuma attacks. Every day Adrien expected to finally hear the screaming of panicked crowds again, and every day there was nothing. He began to wonder if he had been wrong before and perhaps Hawkmoth really had given up.

When Thursday arrived Chat made his way to the roof of the Musée d'Orsay to meet Ladybug for their weekly rendezvous again. He hadn't seen her as Ladybug all week and he wondered if she might give him some clue why, as Marinette, she was...not exactly distancing herself from Adrien, but seemingly hesitant to let them grow closer.

When he dropped onto the roof next to her it appeared that Ladybug had something else on her mind already. She was pacing and spinning her yo-yo distractedly. She barely looked up at the sound of his arrival.

"Good evening, M'lady."

"Hi Chat." She said, still pacing and continuing to spin her yo-yo. "Do you realize it's been ten days? Ten days total, and not a single akuma." She sounded more puzzled than worried.

"Yeah, I know. It's weird. It kind of makes me nervous."

"The worst part is the uncertainty, not knowing what it means, or what we can do about it, or if there's anything we should do about it. The news has picked it up, too. Did you see?"

"No. I, um, haven't had a chance to watch the news lately." The truth was there wasn't even space for a television in his and Nino's apartment. One wall of their living room was occupied by the front door and sofa, the opposite wall was taken up by the glass doors to the balcony, the left wall was shortened by the entrance to the kitchen area, and the right wall had the built in wardrobe between their bedroom doors. So the boys had decided that they could just do without a television and play games and movies on their laptops if they wanted to. Chat mentally kicked himself for not looking up the latest news reports.

"They're wondering if Hawkmoth is gone for good," she continued. "And they're starting to wonder if you and I aren't around anymore, either."

"Maybe we should do an interview and give them a chance to ask their questions."

"Not that we have any answers, do we? Wait...What's going on over there?" Ladybug looked off into the distance over Chat's shoulder.

Chat followed her gaze with narrowed eyes. Far to the south a strange solitary cloud rested near to the ground. Muddy brown, dense and narrow at the base, the cloud seemed to expand and dissipate the further from the ground it was. At the base of the cloud, Chat could make out an ominous flickering red glow and, just barely, the flashing blue lights of police cars and fire trucks. He suddenly realized what it was.

"Come on!" He called, leaping into action. With his staff he was able to vault over buildings and cover ground blindingly fast. Ladybug, with her amazing yo-yo, could swing her way through the city just as fast or perhaps even faster than he could.

It only took about a minute for them to cover the five miles to the two-story building engulfed in smoke and flames, which was surrounded by police cars, ambulances, and fire trucks. The heat of the fire was incredibly intense, even from a distance. The firefighters were already spraying their hoses into the building from several angles. And paramedics were loading stretchers with people being treated for burns and smoke inhalation into the ambulances.

Chat and Ladybug ran up to one of the firefighters. "Is there anybody left inside?" Chat demanded.

"Stay back, it isn't safe!" He answered roughly.

Chat grabbed his arm, "Look, just tell me! Is everyone out?"

The firefighter turned to them, prepared to give a scolding, then seemed to finally notice who he was talking to. "We don't know. We weren't able to search the entire building, and it's too dangerous to go in now."

Ladybug nodded and instantly cast her yo-yo into the air, shouting, "lucky charm!"

A flash of light lit up the semidarkness, momentarily obscuring the glow of the fire. A pair of bandanas landed in Ladybugs hands.

"It looks like it won't take long, then," she said.

"What are you talking about?" Chat asked.

"C'mon, Chat, there's one for each of us!" She handed him a bandana and ran toward the spray of the nearest fire hose, tying the cloth around her nose and mouth and standing underneath the stream of water to get herself fully soaked in the mist drifting down.

Chat followed suit, feeling certain that he was not going to like what they were about to do, but equally certain that they must do it at all cost.

Once they were both wet through, they ran into the burning building together. The blast of intense heat was painful, Chat felt that his skin must be blistering all over just from the ambient heat in the air. The inside of his nose, his throat, and his lungs felt like they were on fire. His eyes were stinging and watering so that he could barely see. They ran through the lobby, where flames were licking up the walls and pooling in the ceiling. They sprinted down the hallway, filled with choking black smoke. Through the roar of the fire Chat could hear the creaking of support beams giving way under the intense heat and pressure, the cracking and popping of wood, the crashing of falling objects throughout the inferno. And then he heard something else. Something that, despite the hellish blaze all around him, sent cold shivers down his spine.

Somewhere ahead of them, a baby was crying.

"This way!" He choked out and dashed ahead of Ladybug, listening all around for more survivors, but he didn't hear anything else that remotely sounded alive.

At the end of the hallway they came to the room and kicked in the door together. They could barely see through the black deadly smoke, but from a folding crib on the floor next to one of the the beds came a baby's choking, coughing cries. And on the bed next to the crib the baby's mother lay, unconscious.

Chat instantly grabbed the woman and Ladybug picked up the baby. With a one-armed swing of his staff Chat shattered the window and together they jumped outside into air that felt icy cold compared to the inside of the burning building.

"Help! We need help!" Ladybug screamed as soon as they were outside. Together they raced toward the ambulances with their precious cargo. Paramedics rushed to meet them with stretchers and oxygen. Ladybug handed the baby over to one of them and Chat laid the baby's mother down on one of the stretchers.

"Did you hear anyone else in there, Chat?" Ladybug asked, coughing and panting.

Chat shook his head. "I didn't hear any other noises, but that doesn't mean..."

He was cut off by a massive creaking, groaning, and snapping from the building. They turned to watch as the hotel collapsed in on itself, sending an eruption sparks and flames into the air.

"That's it. Too late," Ladybug murmured, staring at the blaze helplessly.

Chat watched the building for a moment in dismay. Then he looked back toward the baby and it's mother whom they had rescued from the fire. The baby had been stripped to his skin and was being loaded into the ambulance with an oxygen mask. But on the other stretcher...

Chat's heart sank. Nobody was helping the baby's mother at all. Her body lay still on the stretcher where he had placed her with a sheet draped over her head. She was gone.

"You need to do it now," he said to Ladybug.

"Do what?" she asked.

He ripped the dirty bandana off his neck and handed it to her. "You need to do it. Your miraculous power."

Her eyes grew wide and she shook her head. "Chat... it won't work. This wasn't caused by an akuma." Her earrings beeped in warning. She didn't have much time left.

He looked at the mother's body, lying under the blanket, not moving or breathing. The ambulance carrying the baby started to pull away, taking that baby away from his mother forever.

"Just... just _please!"_ His voice broke, and it had nothing to do with the smoke. "You've got to bring her back! She has to come back! Think of that baby! You don't know what it's like to lose your mother!"

She looked at him for a moment while tears leaked from his eyes and ran down his mask over his cheeks. Then she took the bandanas and tossed them into the air, shouting, "miraculous ladybug!"

The bandanas burst into light and a swarm of tiny magical motes flew around them. Chat watched closely, and for the first time he noticed that the tiny lights actually looked like thousands of little ladybugs.

They swarmed around the area and disappeared. But the building was still in flames. The firefighters were still dousing it with water. The paramedics were still loading people into ambulances and transferring them to the hospital. And the body on the stretcher behind them was completely unchanged.

Ladybug laid her hand on Chat's arm. "I'm sorry, Chat. I'm so sorry." Her earrings beeped again, and with one last apologetic look, she ran away.

Chat walked over to the stretcher where the woman's body lay and he sat down on the ground next to her. If they had only been there sooner, maybe they could have saved her. And now that poor baby boy... how old was he? A year? Younger probably. He hadn't even cut any teeth yet. He would never even know who his mother was.

"Are you okay, Chat Noir?" A paramedic was approaching him, uncertainly.

Chat sniffed and stood up. "Yeah, yeah. Superpowers, you know. The fire didn't injure us at all. I'm just sorry we didn't help her in time." He nodded toward the stretcher next to him.

"Yeah, I know, that's the hardest part of this job. But you and Ladybug did real good today. We wouldn't have been able to get that baby out of there. You saved his life, you know. His little lungs took quite a beating, and he'll be in a bad way for a while. But I'm pretty sure he'll make it. And that's because you two showed up."

Chat thought about this for a minute. "Thank you. I really needed to hear that." He shook the man's hand. "Please excuse me. I need to go see a friend."

"Don't let me keep you, Chat Noir. You do what you gotta do."

Chat dashed through the darkness across the city until he arrived at a very familiar bakery. On the rooftop balcony, as he had expected, Marinette was leaning against the railing and looking out onto the nighttime cityscape.

Chat landed on the rooftop and crawled out onto the railing next to her.

"Chat Noir," she greeted him.

"Marinette."

"Rough night, huh?"

"Yeah. Sorry for...back there."

"You don't have to be sorry for that, Chat. I wish it could have worked. But it just can't."

Marinette's kwami zoomed up and sat on her shoulder looking very solemn. "There must be miraculous destruction to balance miraculous creation," Tikki explained. "That's why I can restore everything after an akuma. It's because the power of a miraculous caused the destruction in the first place. If you destroyed things with your cataclysm, no matter how great the destruction, I could match it with my creation. But I couldn't do more. It has to be balanced, always."

"I understand," Chat said. "And, no matter how awful tonight was, I'm still glad we went. In fact, I think we should do more of the same."

"Rescuing people?" Marinette asked.

"Yes! Exactly! Not just from fires. We could be crime fighters. Batman style! Just because there aren't any akumas lately doesn't mean we can't do anything to help people."

"You want to catch real criminals now?"

"Why not?"

"It sounds kind of dangerous."

Chat folded his arms and looked at her skeptically. "Coming from someone who has fallen from thousands of feet above the city, ridden on the back of a fire breathing dragon, and nearly gotten turned into an ice cream sculpture."

Tikki laughed. "You can do it, Marinette," the little kwami chirped. "You just have to remember that regular criminals are still dangerous even after you catch them, unlike capturing an akuma. So you have to stay on your guard all the time. But it's still easier than battling one of Hawkmoth's villains."

"You're talking like you've done this before," Marinette accused, eyeing Tikki suspiciously.

"Of course. It's what Ladybug is normally supposed to do. Hawkmoth and his evil akumas are an anomaly."

"I already have an idea how to do it, too," Chat said. "Can you meet me again tomorrow night?"

"Um, sure?"

" _Meow-_ velous!" He grinned when Marinette rolled her eyes at his pun. "I'll see you tomorrow then, M'lady."


	13. Chapter 13

The tiny leaflets of an expansive Honey Locust tree rustled sleepily in the cool night breeze. The delicate rippling current of the Seine glistened with silvery moonlight. In the distance the soulful tones of an accordion played _La Via en Rose_ for the tourists who strolled along the Champs-Élysées.

This street, however, was deserted except for two darkly clad figures striding purposefully up the walkway. Their faces were obscured by the hoods of their jackets, even though the night was pleasantly cool. Their top heavy strides and wide shoulders identified them as two men, one taller and broader than his thinner companion. They walked up to the glass front of a jewelry store, completely dark on the inside except for the tiny blinking light of the burglar alarm by the door.

They looked up and down the street once, then the larger man produced a heavy stone from under his jacket, raised it to the level of his shoulder, and hurled it with all his might at the window.

The glass cracked in a dense spiderweb pattern, but didn't shatter. He picked up the stone and threw it again, weakening and splintering the glass which stubbornly still held together against his abuse. His companion joined in, kicking and tearing at the inner laminate layer which was designed to prevent the window from shattering, and opening a hole large enough for them to crawl through.

Out of nowhere, a dense metal bar shot between them and the window, smacking with a crunch against the glass strewn ground at their feet.

"This is no place for cat burglars, you know. Is that ironic?" A snarky, youthful voice called from the roof of the jewelry shop.

Chat Noir retracted his staff and leapt off the building, flipping and spinning before landing lightly on his feet behind them.

"I think you're just glad you finally found an excuse to use the term 'cat burglar'." Ladybug said, landing next to him and spinning her yo-yo.

"Touché," Chat acknowledged. Then, addressing the astonished and angry would-be burglars, "Why don't you two surrender nicely so we can avoid any unpleasantness here?"

"Why don't you two mind your own business?" the heavier of the two men challenged.

"Protecting the city of Paris is our business," Ladybug said advancing on them.

The robbers backed away with their hands raised, as though Ladybug and Chat Noir were armed with guns. But they came to the wall and couldn't back up anymore. The thinner man looked really nervous.

"This place is insured. They'll get their money back. We aren't hurting anyone!" The larger man continued.

"That doesn't make it okay to steal from them!" Ladybug said.

At that moment the smaller man reached into his coat and whipped out a pistol. His companion shouted, "no!" But Chat's staff shot forward before the nervous man could even take aim, smacking it out of his hand. The pistol landed on the ground with a metallic clunk and skidded toward the street.

Ladybug cast her yo-yo at the men, which spun around them six or seven times then tightened, binding them together and immobilizing them in its unbreakable cord.

"Okay, now we just have to wait for the police to show up," Chat observed, leaning against his staff.

"Yeah, you two are real heroes," the thin burglar grumbled. "Saving an insurance company from having to fill a claim. You know how poor insurance companies are. They really need the money, not like us."

"Ugh, I wish we didn't have to stand around here listening to this nonsense," Ladybug sighed. Maybe we should start carrying handcuffs."

"Handcuffs M'lady? Hmmm... I like that idea," Chat grinned mischievously.

Ladybug shot him a scathing look. But he could see that he'd made her blush, too.

"What's that look for?" He asked, trying to look innocent. "I work in puns and idioms, not double entendres."

A few minutes later the police showed up. They thanked the two heroes, and took the burglars into custody.

"Well, do you want to try for one more or are we done for tonight?" Chat asked as they casually made their way away from the crime scene.

What they had been doing, which seemed to be working rather well, was patrolling the city together, watching and listening for anything unusual. Chat had a real knack for finding crime. His super hearing and night vision seemed particularly suited for discovering illegal activity. They had stopped a car thief, saved a woman in an abusive relationship, captured a drug dealer, and now they'd stopped a jewelry store burglary.

It had been easy for them to make the transition to vigilantes, but Chat felt that they still hadn't quite found their feet. There were some things that still felt kind of awkward, like having to wait around with the criminals until the police arrived. And stopping the bad guys seemed embarrassingly easy when compared to the akumatized villains they were used to.

"Hmm, I would, but if I don't get some sleep tonight my parents are going to wonder why I've suddenly become a narcoleptic in the morning. And, I don't know about you, but I have a busy day tomorrow."

Chat chuckled. "Yeah, I know. I'm graduating, too. If you're up for it, how about we meet again around midnight tomorrow?"

"Well, there's supposed to be this big party going on tomorrow evening, but since it's being thrown by my sworn enemy, I'm sure I can duck out a little early."

"Your sworn enemy?" He asked, puzzled.

"You remember Chloé Bourgeois?" She grinned.

"Oh, yeah. The girl who's got a thing for your boyfriend."

Ladybug nodded ruefully. And there it was again, the slight touch of sadness that seemed to creep up on her from time to time.

Chat narrowed his eyes. "Are you sure you don't want to tell me..."

"No, it's nothing. Don't worry about it." She waved him off and turned, as if to leave. Then she bowed her head and sighed. "Why don't you call me 'Bugaboo' anymore?"

"What? Why don't I...? I thought you hated that nickname?"

"I did! I do! But... you stopped saying it and it's... _weird_. You've been acting all different ever since... well, you know. And it's really confusing me."

"Confusing you? How? I'm just trying to act more like myself. I was always so over the top and a show off. Being Chat Noir gives me freedom I didn't usually have and I couldn't help but relish in it. But that's not how I am normally."

"I just thought I already had you figured out since we've been working together for so long. And now it's almost like you're a different person and I'm...well..."

"Is that really what's been bothering you?"

"Not exactly... Sort of."

"I guess I can see how that would be unsettling," Chat mused, wondering how he might feel if Nino suddenly seemed to have a personality change.

"But it's not that," Ladybug said, shaking her head. "All that showing off and flirting was usually just annoying and I didn't like it. But now I feel like I'm getting to know a different side of you. And..."

"You like me?" Chat asked, hopefully.

"Oh, Chat! I've always liked you. You've always been a good loyal friend, even when you annoyed me to death."

"But, no, I mean now do you..."

"I don't know what I'm trying to say, really," Ladybug hastily added. "I guess I just thought you've been acting strange is all." She looked away.

When she didn't say anything more Chat could tell she wanted to change the subject.

"I can go back to calling you Bugaboo if you want," he teased, to lighten the mood.

It seemed to work. Ladybug laughed and said, "Goodnight _mon_ _chaton_. I'll see you tomorrow."

Chat watched her swing away into the night, his heart aching. He was beginning to wonder if his lady would ever put the pieces of the puzzle together on her own and figure out that she was actually dating him in their regular lives. Had he not made it obvious enough for her? Or maybe she really was just being stubborn and refusing to look at the clues he kept dropping, sometimes intentionally and sometimes accidentally, every time they met.

Chat planted his staff on the ground and extended it, launching himself into the sky. Moments later he landed on the tiny balcony outside his bedroom and stole quickly inside.

"Claws in," he said. There was a flash of greenish light and Plagg zoomed out of his ring, yawning prodigiously.

"I am so tired!" The kwami squeaked dramatically. "And hungry, too. Got any cheese?"

"I'll go grab you some," Adrien offered.

The counters in the kitchen were scattered with crumbs. He sighed and silently reminded himself of the compromise he and Nino had come to. There was a stack of mail, too. Adrien grabbed a few pieces of cheese for Plagg, sorted through the envelopes to pull out the ones addressed to him, and returned to his room.

"What's all that?" Plagg asked, when Adrien began opening the envelopes.

"Looks like a bunch of information packets for universities," he answered, opening a second one.

"Ugh, more school? I thought you were graduating tomorrow. Can't we at least have a break?"

"Yeah, but I've got to plan ahead. Being Chat Noir is great but it won't pay the bills. And I want to do something with my life as Adrien, too."

"I thought being super handsome was the thing you did as Adrien," Plagg said, dryly.

Adrien grinned. "Let's be honest, I do that as Chat Noir, too." They burst into laughter together. Adrien laughing all the more for how Chat-like his automatic response had been.

The next day was the graduation ceremony, the culmination of three years of high school and intense studying for their baccalaureate tests.

Nino had arrived home very late the previous night, long after Adrien had finally gone to bed. He'd been the DJ at a very large party for a wealthy family. They'd been paying by the hour and hadn't wanted him to leave until all their guests were ready to go home. But the guests had apparently been enjoying his music and games so much nobody had wanted to leave. Nino had made a lot of money, but he was also exhausted.

"And I have to do it again tonight!" he moaned.

"That's right, you're doing Chloé's party, aren't you?"

"Someone wake me up when it's all over," Nino fell dramatically on the sofa and covered his eyes with his hat.

"Oh no you don't. You know your dad and all our friends are going to be at the graduation. You can take a nap after the ceremony!"

Adrien successfully dragged his friend off the couch and together they made their way to the stadium with their caps and robes. The stage was all set; white plastic folding chairs had been lined up in rows on the field for the guests; and people were already crowding in.

It seemed to Adrien that time dragged on more slowly than usual while the graduates and guests all found their seats. The band played a few songs. And then there was the speech by Mr. Damocles. Adrien held the program in his hand, continually checking the order of ceremony to see how much more they had to sit through. He resisted the temptation to look around to see if his father had shown up. He knew he would just be disappointed.

Finally it was time to walk. One by one their names were called, they marched up to the stage, took their diplomas, shook hands with Mr. Damocles, and returned to their seats. The principal gave a congratulatory speech. The band played a fanfare. The crowd cheered. His classmates stood. Everyone was hugging and shaking hands.

"Congratulations man!" Nino had found him and was thumping him on the back.

"Thanks, Nino. Congratulations to you, too. Have you found your dad yet?"

"Yeah, he's chilling in the front row, over there. Must've gotten here pretty early to score a front row seat. I think he videoed the whole thing."

Adrien looked up and saw Nino's dad pack up a video camera and start making his way toward his son. Looking out to the guest seats, his eyes instinctively scanned the crowd, wondering if he's catch a glimpse of his own father. He was not surprised that he didn't.

"My dad's going to be taking me out to lunch with my gran and gramps now to celebrate," Nino said. "But I'll be seeing you at Chloé's party later, right?"

"Yeah, yeah I think so." Adrien's eyes were still scanning the crowd, and he finally found who he was really looking for. Near the back seats Marinette was standing with her very proud parents and her grandmother. He caught her eye and she waved him over.

Nino chuckled. "Go ahead, dude. I gotta go now anyway. We'll catch up later."

Adrien weaved his way through the crowd, past his classmates who were all congratulating one another or taking pictures with loved ones, toward Marinette's family. When he finally reached them Marinette was posing for a picture with her parents, her arms full of flowers. Her grandmother, a slender woman with short silvery white hair and wearing a leather motorcycle jacket, snapped the photo.

"I can take a picture of all of you if you like," he offered.

"That's very kind of you, young man," she said, handing him the camera. She spoke with a pronounced Italian accent.

Marinette winked at him as he took aim and captured their family picture. When he handed the camera back, Marinette said, "Grandma, this is Adrien Agreste. Adrien, this is my grandmother, Gina Dupain."

"Oh, so _you're_ the famous Adrien! I've heard so much about you. You are every bit as handsome as Marinetta told me!" She pronounced Marinette's name like "Mar-i-net-ta", which Adrien would have found endearing and humorous if he hadn't been too busy blushing.

Marinette had gone red, too. "Grandma!" she hissed.

"What? He's your boyfriend, isn't he? I'm your grandmother, aren't I? I have an obligation to embarrass you in front of him."

"Grandma is going to take me shopping for a new dress for the party tonight," Marinette said, trying to change the subject. "But first we're all going to get some lunch. If you don't have other plans, do you want to come with?"

"Yeah! Yes, I'd love to," He was more than relieved at the invitation. The thought of heading back to his empty apartment alone while all his friends were out celebrating with their families had felt like a lump of coal in his stomach.

They met at a small Indian restaurant that Gina recommended, but which Adrien had never visited before. They ate mutton curry, kebabs, and naan. And Adrien tried a mango flavored yogurt milkshake called a lassi. It was one of the more interesting meals he had ever enjoyed.

Marinette's parents were kind and attentive. And they mercifully never asked why Adrien's father hadn't been at the graduation, which told Adrien that Marinette must have explained the strained relationship between them. Her grandmother was a most interesting character. She was a free spirit, always traveling, and seemed to disdain the mundane and ordinary. She held nothing back; not her opinions, not her criticisms, and most of all not her love and adoration for her family.

At first, Marinette seemed a little nervous eating lunch with both Adrien and her grandmother. Adrien got the impression that Marinette had previously waxed eloquent in her praises of his finer attributes. But when Adrien politely ignored some of the more embarrassing teasing, which included questions about when they planned to get married and whether they objected to naming a child after her, Gina Dupain seemed to think her grandmotherly duty was fulfilled and moved on to telling tales of some of her fascinating and exotic adventures in Tanzania.

All too soon, the lunch was over. The group of them made their way out of the restaurant. Marinette's parents bid them farewell and started walking back toward their bakery. Her grandmother strode up to her motorcycle and started strapping on a shiny red helmet.

"Well then, Marinetta, my fairy, kiss your sweetheart goodbye. We need to go find the perfect dress to make you look ravishing tonight!"

Adrien's heart jumped. Since the interrupted incident at school on his birthday, they hadn't even come close to kissing again. They'd held hands and hugged and played and laughed together. But it had started to feel almost taboo to even think about trying to kiss her.

And he was darn well not going to miss this opportunity.

"Oh, I um, you know... my grandmother, she's..." Marinette stammered as he took a step toward her.

"Do you have an objection?" He asked, feeling a small twinge of pained uncertainty. Maybe she didn't _want_ to kiss him?

Her eyes grew wide as saucers. "N-no," she squeaked.

"Good," he smiled, relieved. He drew even closer and brought his hand up to her cheek, gently tracing his thumb along her jawline. He felt a surge of reckless daring, something he usually only felt when he was wearing a black leather suit and seeing the world in strange rainbows of color.

Marinette was looking at him with wide, wondering, almost fearful eyes.

"I've been waiting a long time for another excuse to kiss you, you know," he told her, wrapping the fingers of his other hand around her waist.

"Y-you have?" She breathed.

He threw caution to the wind, lowered his mouth to hers, and gently kissed her. When their lips met, it was as though an electric current passed between them, like touching a raw nerve that ran the length of his whole body.

Marinette gasped and reached up to wrap her arms around his neck. She twined her fingers in his tousled blonde hair. When he backed away from her again, Adrien noticed a touch of disappointment in her eyes.

He smirked roguishly and brought his cheek to hers and whispered into her ear. "Marinette, I want nothing more than to kiss you properly right now. But I think you might have forgotten that your grandmother is watching us."

She started in surprise, apparently having become completely unaware of her surroundings, and turned to look at her grandmother who was smiling indulgently at them.

"Come along, my fairy! We need to get this show on the road. You will see your tesoro again soon."

Marinette turned back to Adrien and smiled, stumbling a little as she backed slowly toward the motorcycle. Gina plopped a helmet onto her granddaughter's head, buckled it for her, and pulled her onto the seat behind her.

"Goodbye, Adrien, it was a pleasure to meet you!" She called over the roar of the engine, and then they sped away.

Adrien leaned back against the wall of the restaurant, closed his eyes, and sighed happily.

"Well, it's about time!" Plagg called from his pocket, chuckling.


	14. Chapter 14

Le Grand Paris shone like a beacon in the night. Four searchlights posted outside the front doors swept their beams through the star-strewn sky. Lanterns glowed red and white from the ornate wrought iron entryway. Through the glass front doors the inside of the lobby flowed with the gentle cadence of celebratory music. Strings of white lights glittered overhead and glistened off the shiny white tiled floor. Extravagant floral displays boasting hundreds of rose blossoms lent a heady sweet smell to the air. The white marble columns were festooned with white and red ribbons and balloons, matching the rest of the hotel decor. Tables placed strategically throughout the room tempted the arriving partygoers with cake, punch, sushi, chocolates, cheese with bread, displays of fresh fruit, and champagne. Intricate ice sculptures of swans and dolphins sparkled from the center of each display.

At the far end of the hall from the lobby, the entrance to the grand ballroom revealed the main body of festivities. Practically the whole school had shown up to attend Chloé Bourgeois' graduation party, which everyone knew was going to be the event of the century. Since Chloé's father was the mayor of Paris and also the owner of Le Grand Paris hotel, even those who disliked the girl—which was pretty much everyone—decided to show up just to see how extravagant it would prove to be.

Strings of thousands of tiny twinkling lights filled the ceiling of the ballroom, sparkling and refracting through the nine enormous and priceless crystal chandeliers. Flowers adorned the walls, ribbons streamed from the arches, red and white balloons bedecked the pillars.

Nino, of course, was at his booth at the head of the ballroom. Popular upbeat music pulsed through the speakers while he carefully selected his lists of songs and arranged them to fit with all of the special requests he was receiving from the guests. He looked a bit tired from his late night still, but he was in his element and seemed to be enjoying himself anyway.

Adrien stood off to the side chatting with two of his other friends. Kim and Max—two boys who somehow managed to be best friends despite being polar opposites in personality—didn't have dates to the party, so they were hanging out together and making bets about whether or not Kim could eat an entire fruit display by himself. Max assured him that he wouldn't be able to. Because, as he said, the average volume capacity of the human stomach was not capable of containing so much food. Adrien was just waiting, amused, to see whether Kim would try to actually do it when Alya, Ivan, and Mylène made their way into the ballroom and walked over to join them. Ivan and Mylène were two other friends who had been in Adrien's class, and they had also been a couple for the past three years. Ivan looked distinctly uncomfortable in his slacks, dress shirt, and suit coat.

"This place is so gorgeous!" Mylène gushed.

"They really went all out this time, didn't they?" Alya agreed.

The girls had dressed themselves up for the occasion, too. Mylène wore a simple silver and white satin dress which suited her well. And Alya was stunning in a dark purple, sleeveless, floor length dress which had a slit in the side that ran up to her thigh. Adrien glanced up at Nino, wondering if he had noticed the arrival of his girlfriend, and whether he'd be able to concentrate on his work once he did. His friend had indeed looked up from the records on his table and was staring open-mouthed at Alya.

Adrien was just about to walk over to the DJ booth to tease Nino when something sparkly and red caught his attention from the door. He glanced that direction, then did a double take.

Marinette stood framed in the light from the hallway. Her hair was up in an intricately braided bun, a few strands curled around her cheek and neck and rubies sparkled among the black folds of her hair. She was wearing a red dress which was covered in glimmering red sequins from the hemline by her knees to the thin straps on her shoulders. The neckline plunged just low enough to tease his eyes, but not low enough to be immodest. The sequins in the fabric hugging her skin shimmered and sparkled with every slight move she made. She gazed into the dimly lit ballroom, searching, then turned to look back down the hallway and Adrien's breath caught in his throat. The back of Marinette's dress was cut low, showing her creamy smooth skin all the way down to her hips.

He swallowed convulsively and started walking toward her.

"Marinette?" He called, and she spun back around at the sound of his voice.

"Adrien! Sorry I'm a little late. My grandmother insisted that this dress would be appropriate for the party, but I wasn't so sure."

"You look amazing!" Adrien assured her, admiring how graceful the curve of her neck was when her hair was out of the way.

She smiled and blushed a little. "You do, too. But of course you always look amazing." Her eyes popped wide for a second and she slapped her hand over her mouth.

Adrien laughed, and looked down at his own ensemble. He had literally thrown on whatever formal wear he'd managed to find in his wardrobe. A white tuxedo shirt, unbuttoned at the collar because he didn't have a tie, a navy blue jacket and slacks, and brown leather shoes and belt. "Thanks, I was a little worried I might be under dressed. Would you like to dance?"

She nodded and so he took her hand and led her out onto the dance floor. The first few songs were upbeat and fun. Marinette and her stunning, sparkling dress outshone every other girl on the floor.

Once, Adrien caught a glimpse of Chloé looking at them rather coldly, but she hadn't bothered him or Marinette at all anymore since the incident on his birthday. And after a while Chloé actually consented to join Kim on the dance floor.

Finally, Nino put on a series of slow songs. Marinette wrapped her arms around Adrien's neck and he gladly responded by reaching around her waist and pulling her close. His hands rested against the bare skin of her back as they swayed to the music together.

"I really like this dress on you," he confided to her. "I'm going to have to thank your grandmother the next time I see her."

She laughed lightly, "She said you would like it."

"Red is a very good color on you," he noted.

She didn't respond, but tightened her arms around his neck a bit. He lowered his head to bury his face in the soft skin of her cheek and neck. The smell of fresh baked bread still seemed to cling to her.

They danced together for a long time. Song followed song and time seemed to just stand still. Adrien wondered if Nino kept playing slow songs for their benefit or for his own. He caught a few glimpses of his fiend dancing with Alya on the other side of the room, and he appeared to be completely engrossed.

Eventually they were in need of refreshments, so they made their way to the the lobby to find some drinks. Adrien helped himself to a flute of champagne and Marinette took a glass of punch. She also surreptitiously sneaked a cookie into the little clutch bag she was carrying, and Adrien assumed Tikki must be riding around in there.

"Would you like to go for a walk in the atrium with me?" he offered. "It will be less crowded in there."

"Yeah, sure." She smiled and took his arm when he offered it and they walked together into the wide open space of the atrium. Its glass ceiling high overhead showed the inky blackness of the night sky. Potted trees lined the walkway and flowering plants filled the raised beds, so it felt almost like strolling outside.

"I'm having a really good time tonight, Marinette," Adrien said.

"I am, too." She answered immediately, but her eyes wandered away to the glass ceiling and then to the door with a small frown.

"Is something wrong?"

"It's... it's nothing, really. I'm having a really good time with you, too." This time she smiled up at him.

He wasn't convinced. "If something is bothering you, I really want to know."

"Don't worry about it, Adrien. It's just... I'm... distracted with something."

"Is it... Are you sorry that I kissed you earlier?"

"No!" She exclaimed, apparently shocked that he would even think such a thing. "God, no! That was wonderful!"

"Then what?"

"I... I can't tell you. I really can't. Please believe me."

He looked at her for a minute, noting her resolute expression. The same one she wore as Ladybug when she was trying to convince Chat that she couldn't know his identity. And things started clicking together in his mind. She was sad when she was with Adrien even though she loved him. And she was sad when she was with Chat Noir, too. And whatever was bothering her was a secret she couldn't tell to Adrien. But to Chat she had confessed that it had something to do with him acting more like himself.

She was sad because Chat Noir was acting more like Adrien... And suddenly it clicked.

"I think I've been a complete idiot," Adrien said.

"What?" Marinette asked.

He smiled kindly at her. "I'll explain it later. But for now, let me just tell you that I'm sorry. I really am."

"Sorry? For what?"

"It's getting close to midnight, and there's somewhere I need to be. I have to go now, but I'll give you a call tomorrow if you still want me to."

"What do you mean if I still want you to? Of course... wait, did you say it's almost midnight?"

"Yeah."

"Darn, that's my curfew. I have to go home now anyway."

A little while later Chat Noir waited on the roof of the Musée d'Orsay, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed and his head bowed in thought. How had he been so disastrously stupid? Of course he understood what was going on now. Now that he'd gone and messed everything up. He only hoped he could fix it.

Ladybug alighted next to him and he looked up. Her hair was still braided in the intricate bun from the party, rubies and all. She smiled when she saw him.

"Nice do, M'lady," he grinned.

Her hand went up to feel her hair. "Oh, yeah, it's from the party."

"Were you having a nice time?" He hadn't moved from the wall. He was watching her responses, waiting for it to happen.

"Yes, I was. It was a lot of fun," she said.

"I'm sorry you had to leave, then."

She frowned slightly.

"And there it is," he said, pushing away from the wall. "Can you tell me where that frown comes from, M'lady?"

"What? I... It's nothing."

"But it isn't nothing. I understand that now. It's a big problem, and we need to fix it."

She looked aghast and nervous at the same time. "If it's a problem it's my problem, not anything you need to worry about." She countered.

"None of my business, you think? But I think you're wrong there. I think it is my business. I want to help; and I'm pretty sure I'm the only one who can."

"Chat you're making too much of this. And shouldn't we be patrolling now?"

"We will, but I have something I need to tell you, first."

She sighed. "Okay, What is it?"

Chat took a slow measured step toward her, closing the space between them, and lifted her hand. She watched him with widening eyes, waiting. He brought her hand to his mouth and tenderly kissed her fingers. Did she know how acute his senses were when he was Chat Noir? Was she aware that he could hear her heart pick up it's pace and her breath quicken when his lips grazed her knuckles? She didn't even attempt to pull away when he rotated her hand and twined his black-gloved fingers with hers. Her pupils dilated when he bent toward her and gazed into them with his own emerald green eyes.

"I'm sorry," he said, very sincerely.

"Huh?" She blinked, as though coming out of a trance.

"I've made you fall in love with me, when you were already in love with Adrien Agreste. And now you're stuck between the two of us, and can't be really happy with either of us."

"Me? In love with..."

"Are you really going to try to deny it?" He asked.

"Don't be ridiculous!" She laughed weakly.

"Of course you are. You're so stubborn," he sighed. "Truth be told, that's one of the things I love about you."

She took a breath and closed her eyes, stepping away from him. "Chat, I love Adrien. I really do."

"I know you do," he said. "But you love me, too. Do you think I've forgotten that hug in your bedroom? Don't pretend that was nothing. And do you think I don't notice you blushing when I flirt with you? Do you know that whenever we touch I can hear your heart start racing? And tonight, you didn't have to leave that party. You knew you would be there with Adrien, you could have stayed as long as you wanted. But you chose to leave him at midnight, running off like Cinderella from the ball... to meet _me._ "

Ladybug didn't say anything. She opened her mouth like she wanted to argue, but closed it again and bowed her head in defeat.

"I love you, too, by the way," he told her gently.

"Chat..." her voice sounded choked. "Why are you doing this?"

"Because something has to be done. And the first step to solving a problem is recognizing what the problem is."

"Okay... You're right. It's true."

Chat smiled kindly, but inside he was leaping with joy. "Now, what can we do about this?" he mused, barely keeping the glee he was feeling from leaking into his voice.

"I'll have to choose between you," she answered, hollowly. "I have to choose between someone who knows and loves both sides of who I am, and someone who I can build a life with, who I can marry and have children with," she sounded utterly dismayed.

Chat was just opening his mouth to respond when a heavy rattling, crashing, roaring sound reached them from below, followed by screeching tires and the shattering of glass. Together they ran to the edge of the roof and poked their heads over the side.

Below them, on the ground level a large black van had driven up the stairs and smashed through the glass wall of the museum. As they watched a group of armed men poured out of the van and into the building through the gaping hole.

"Looks like another burglary. You ready for this Chat Noir?"

Chat ground his teeth in irritation. Why did this have to be happening now? He hated to leave their conversation where it was. But something was definitely going down at the museum and they couldn't just ignore it.

"Let's go!" he said.

They leapt off the roof together and landed side by side next to the perpetrators' van.

"Come on out!" Ladybug called into the dark hole in the glass. "You've been caught and the police are on their way!"

A cacophony of loud gunfire erupted from the museum. Shattering glass cascaded around them as a shower of bullets shot out of the building. Chat's spinning staff and Ladybug's twirling yo-yo managed to deflect most of them, but a few bullets hit the back of the van to their right.

Apparently the driver wasn't too happy about being fired upon. The van's wheels spun screeching loudly and sending up two small clouds of noxious smoke. Chat leapt upon the vehicle as it tore away and bounced down the stairs.

"Cataclysm!" he shouted. Bubbles of black destruction power gathered and coalesced in his clawed hand. He touched the roof of the van and the entire vehicle disintegrated, leaving two men and himself skidding to a halt on the road.

Chat jumped up and disarmed the men, who were moaning and bleeding from the road rash on their exposed skin. He escorted them back to the museum where Ladybug had already bound the rest of their accomplices in the cord of her yo-yo.

"Well, that was pretty easy," he noted, balancing his staff over his shoulders while his two captives sat down with the rest. "Hey, wait a minute, don't I recognize you?"

One of the men bound by Ladybug's yo-yo was scowling darkly at the two heroes.

"Yeah, I do! You're the guy from the jewelry store yesterday. How did you get out?"

The thin man just spat on the ground and scowled.

"Somebody probably bailed him out or something." Ladybug shrugged. "They didn't actually steal anything or even go into the store, so they were probably only charged with was destruction of property."

Chat's ring beeped a warning.

"You used your cataclysm?" Ladybug asked.

"Yeah, I wanted to stop those two before the van started going too fast." Chat indicated the scraped and bleeding men.

"You should get out of here, then. I can handle these guys until the police arrive."

"Not a chance! They opened fire on us. I'm not leaving you alone with them when you can't use your yo-yo. Besides, here come the police now."

Sure enough, a squad of police cars and trucks was speeding up the road toward them, lights flashing and sirens wailing. Within a few minutes they screeched to a halt outside the museum. The officers posted with drawn weapons in a wide formation around the captive robbers.

"Ladybug, Chat Noir, thank you again for your assistance," Lieutenant Raincomprix greeted them while a small group of his deputies advanced on the captives. "It would have been a very bad day for the museum if you two hadn't shown up."

"We're always glad to help," said Ladybug.

Chat's ring beeped again. He looked and saw only one pad remaining.

"That's my cue to leave," he said cheerily, spinning his staff. "I'll catch up with you in a little bit, M'lady." He bowed to Ladybug. Then he planted his staff to vault up to the roof.

Chat didn't feel the sudden massive blow to the side of his head. He never heard the resounding blast of the gun. He didn't feel it when he smashed into the pavement. He didn't hear the police officers opening fire around him. And he never heard Ladybug screaming. All he knew was that one moment he was saying goodbye, the next moment everything had gone black.


	15. Chapter 15

Adrien was experiencing some very strange sensations. His vision seemed to be defective. It was as though his eyes were sending images to his brain and he felt sure he should know what they were but nothing made any sense. Like he was looking through a kaleidoscope at an alien world. He had a strange giddy feeling in his stomach, like he was falling or flying through the air. And with the way the world was spinning around him that actually seemed likely to be true. There were sounds, too, but they also made very little sense: roaring, screeching, whooshing of wind, and a voice calling from somewhere nearby, or was it far away? The voice was loud but echoed hollowly so that it might have been coming from the bottom of a well. Something hot, wet, and sticky was running down the side of his face, his mouth tasted of iron and salt, and his head was throbbing with a pain unlike any he'd ever known before.

Everything suddenly got brighter, like someone had turned up the lights on the world. His dizziness seemed to ease up, and he felt like he was lying down on a soft bed. Was he just waking up? Had he been having a nightmare? Why did his head hurt so badly?

Adrien groaned and reached up to touch his throbbing head.

"Shhhh, no. Don't touch it. Let me." The voice was gentle and feminine and filled him with a strange aching longing. A soft hand grasped his own and pulled it down away from his head. He blinked, trying to clear his vision while he heard the rustling of fabric, a zipper opening and closing, the sloshing of liquid, and paper being torn.

"Marinette?" he asked, groggily, then winced and hissed as something cold and stinging dabbed at the wound on his head.

"I'm here. You're going to be okay. You'll be just fine," she said. Her breathing shuddered as she continued to dab at the wound. He caught a whiff of the pungent scent of rubbing alcohol.

Flashes of memory finally started rushing back to him. The museum heist. The cataclysm. One pad remaining. And now he was waking up with a head wound.

"What... what happened?" He asked, still feeling confused.

There was the sound of sloshing and dripping water, then something soft, warm, and wet gently wiped against his face, cleaning off the blood.

"Do you remember the robbers at the museum?" She asked.

"Yes?"

"One of them had a gun hidden at his ankle under his trousers. I didn't find it before the police came. He waited until he could break free, then he shot you in the head before anyone could stop him."

"I was...shot in the head?" He was sure for a moment that he must have heard her wrong. Or his brain must still be addled. That couldn't be right.

"Yes. You were knocked out cold for a few seconds. I grabbed you and got you out of there before you changed back."

The room wasn't spinning anymore. He could see Marinette clearly now. She was leaning over the bed, still wearing her red-sequined dress, while she ministered to his wound. Her neck, shoulder, and arm were smeared with his damp blood. Adrien realized that he was lying in his own bed in his own room, still wearing his formal wear from the party.

Several things occurred to him simultaneously. First, he was talking with Marinette about things he had done with her as Chat Noir. Second, he had obviously transformed back into his normal self sometime after he'd been shot. And third, Ladybug had brought him home. So the cat was officially, completely, and irrevocably out of the bag.

Then he suddenly realized if he had been injured then what about...

"Plagg? Where is he? Is he okay?"

"Tikki thinks he will be fine. She's taken him to see Master Fu." Marinette continued dabbing away the blood from his face.

"He was hurt?!"

"He had a headache and he was disoriented. But Tikki assured me that he would be fine with a little treatment." She gave his face one last swipe near his hairline, then put the cloth into a bowl of water on his desk and left it there, apparently finished cleaning up his blood. The water was tinted bright red.

"Are you okay?" He asked.

She didn't answer right away, but instead knelt down on the floor next to him. Adrien sat up, his head throbbing and stinging with the movement, and saw that his shirt and jacket were wet with bloodstains. He cast off the jacket and tossed it into his laundry bin, then started unbuttoning his shirt as well.

"It was really you all along," Marinette said. "I'm having some trouble wrapping my head around the idea."

"I never wanted things to end up the way they did," he assured her. "It was pretty stupid of me to do that. Courting you as Adrien and Chat at the same time... yeah, it was really stupid of me. I realized that tonight. It never should have seemed like a good idea." He cast his bloody shirt into the bin with his jacket then sighed and gently lowered his face to rest on his hands.

She got up and sat next to him on the bed, brushing back his hair with her fingers to examine the wound. "You aren't bleeding anymore. How do you feel?"

"Like my head is split open."

"Do you feel dizzy? Sick? Cold?"

"No, not anymore."

"I wanted to take you to the hospital. But Plagg and Tikki didn't think it would be a good idea. It would be hard to explain a gunshot wound to the head that didn't penetrate your skull without telling them that you're Chat Noir."

Adrien lifted his head to look at her properly. Marinette's expression was one of forced neutrality, like she was struggling to keep something in. But her eyes glistened. And as he watched her he saw her chin begin to tremble. He put his arm around her and drew her closer. She collapsed against his chest, sobbing and clinging to him. He brought her into his lap and held her while she cried, her face pressed into his shoulder, her tears wet against his skin.

After some time her sobbing ebbed into weak, trembling, hitching breaths. "I was so frightened," she sniffed. "You were bleeding so much. And I was so sure that you were going to die. And nothing I could have done would have brought you back." Her voice tightened at the end.

"Shh, I know. Believe me, I know," he murmured, stroking the smooth skin of her shoulders, kissing her hair, and remembering what it had been like for him when he'd nearly lost Ladybug.

"And then you changed back...into Adrien!"

"I never meant for you to find out that way. I'm sorry, Marinette."

She moved her hands up his chest to wrap her arms around his neck and looked up at him. Her topaz eyes, glistening with tears, searched his face. "I wanted it to be you. I wanted you to be Chat Noir so, so much. You have no idea."

That was all he needed to hear. In that moment, nothing else in the world seemed to matter. He closed the last few inches of distance between them and captured her mouth with his own. Her fingers braided themselves into his hair and her arms locked behind his neck, securing his face to hers. He was held prisoner in her arms. His hands slid down the exposed skin along her spine, pressing the soft curves of her body tighter into his chest, and she shivered in response.

Adrien traced the tip of his tongue along the flawless curve of her lower lip, tasting a hint of something sweet on her mouth. The feeling of her warm body pressed tightly against him, and her soft eager lips moving with his, was unlike anything he had ever experienced before. And the knowledge that it was Ladybug who was willingly and eagerly throwing herself into Chat's arms made it all the more intoxicating.

Adrien shifted a bit, tilting his head and grazing his lips along her jawline seeking the warmth of her neck. Marinette gasped and tightened her grip, pressing her body into his. Adrien let out an involuntary moan of desire, and Marinette, misunderstanding, backed away in alarm.

"Did I hurt you?" she asked.

"No, no I'm fine."

But Marinette was scrutinizing him, looking concerned. "You're bleeding again!"

"What?" He brought his hand up to his hairline and, sure enough, felt a small trickle of blood.

Marinette slid off his lap, much to Adrien's disappointment, and snatched the first aid kit off of his desk again. "We need to keep pressure on that wound until it really stops bleeding," she said, and handed him a wad of sterile gauze. Adrien took it from her and pressed it to his head, wincing in pain.

Marinette watched him anxiously.

"Don't worry, M'lady. This cat's got nine lives." He grinned.

She smirked. "Maybe, but I'm pretty sure you've used up most of them already."

Adrien shrugged, then frowned looking at her blood-smeared arm and neck. "You should take a shower before you go. I'll give you something to change into. It will probably be a lot easier to explain coming home in your boyfriends clothes than coming home looking like you stabbed somebody."

While Marinette used his shower, Adrien busied himself cleaning up the blood in his room. Marinette hadn't been kidding when she'd said he'd bled a lot. There were large red drops on the floor of his bedroom. His pillow and bed were smeared with red stains. He tossed his sheet, pillowcase, shirt, and the washcloth Marinette had used to clean his face into the washer. His jacket would need to be dry cleaned, or maybe just thrown away. He didn't like the idea of having to explain it at the cleaners.

He washed out the bowl of bloody water in his tiny sink and put it away just as Marinette emerged from the steamy bathroom wearing one of his T-shirts and a pair of his sweatpants. Her wet hair hung heavily around her face, framing the cream and roses of her flushed skin in dark curtains.

She looked over at him anxiously. "How are you feeling?"

"Better," he answered, honestly. "My head does hurt still, but it isn't nearly as bad as it was."

Marinette sighed, "I keep thinking that your brain is going to swell up and you'll collapse and die while I'm not watching."

Adrien took the three steps necessary to cross the room to her and embraced her again. "I'm sure I'll be fine, really. I'm thinking coherently. I'm speaking clearly. I'm walking fine. Plagg really saved me. That little scoundrel is a lot tougher than I thought." He pressed his face into her hair and inhaled deeply. "You smell amazing by the way, like pies and pastries and fresh bread."

Marinette laughed. "That's what happens when you live over a bakery." Then she sighed. "I don't want to leave. I know you think you're fine, but I'm terrified that as soon as I go something really bad is going to happen."

"Well that's easily solved." He leaned back to look at her. "Why don't you stay the night?"

"S-s-stay?" Her eyes grew wide and he could feel her heart hammering against her ribcage pressed up against him.

"I promise to be on my best, most gentlemanly behavior." He winked.

She blinked a few times but didn't say anything.

"What's the matter M'lady? Chat got your tongue?" He smirked.

That seemed to snap her out of it. She smiled coyly up at him, the way she always did as Ladybug when he flirted with her. Then she said something that completely caught him off his guard.

"Not yet, he doesn't!"

It was something so wildly unexpected and suggestive—without a hint of Marinette's typical shyness or Ladybug's usual dismissiveness—that it took him a moment to recover. And Marinette took full advantage of that moment to reach up, wrap her arms around his neck, and kiss him soundly.

He responded immediately and enthusiastically, pulling the length of her body into him, exploring her mouth with his own, tasting the mysterious sweet flavor of her lips on his tongue, running his hands reverently along the curve of her back until his fingers found a gap in the fabric between the bottom of the shirt and the waistband of the sweats.

Marinette gasped in surprise as his fingers slid over the bare skin at her waist, then pulled him even tighter while his hands glided up along her ribs.

All Adrien could think of was that this was both Ladybug and Marinette, and she was responding like this to both sides of him. Ladybug was finally kissing Chat Noir. Marinette was kissing Adrien. And it was as though something inside him that had long been missing or broken was finally made whole.

The sound of a key turning in the lock distracted them. But before they had a chance to move, the door opened and Alya rushed in. She pocketed the key then looked into the room. Her eyes popped wide in surprise at seeing them. Then wider noticing that they were in each other's arms. And wider still seeing that Adrien was shirtless and Marinette was obviously fresh out of the shower.

"Wait, whoa..." she looked at Marinette, who seemed to shrink with embarrassment, "girl are you...?" She pointed between the two of them. "But...what?!"

Adrien cleared his throat. "Was there something you needed, Alya?"

She blinked and looked at him, "Oh, um, yeah, sorry. Uh... Nino sent me for a vinyl record he forgot to bring with him tonight."

"That'll probably be in his room."

"Yeah... yeah, he said it was on his desk." She was still eyeing them intensely, clearly burning with curiosity, but fighting it with all of her might. She retrieved the disc from Nino's room and walked stiffly back toward the door, very purposefully not staring at them.

"Wait! Alya!" Marinette called, and Alya whipped around, hungry for whatever juicy explanation Marinette might offer.

"Marinette, you don't need to..." Adrien began.

"It's not that," she said. "Alya, can you tell my parents that I'm going to stay at your place tonight?"

Alya frowned. "You want me to lie to your parents for you? Wait... holy mother of...! What the hell happened to your head, Adrien?"

"Um..."

"He had a bike accident." Marinette rushed to explain. "A pretty nasty one actually, but he refuses to go to the hospital." She scowled at Adrien for effect.

"I'm fine," Adrien shrugged, going along with it. "And I don't like doctors."

"So I want to stay with him to make sure he really is fine and isn't about to go into a coma or something. That way someone's here to call an ambulance if he needs one."

"So, you're telling me," Alya asked, skeptically. "that Adrien fell off his bicycle, so he had to take off his shirt and you had to take a shower in his apartment?"

"Actually, yeah." Adrien said. "She helped me to get home and we both ended up getting a bit bloody. So I let her wash off in my shower and my shirt is in the laundry."

"And I suppose you were licking the blood off her face just now?" she asked shrewdly.

Marinette erupted in a fit of giggles.

"No," Adrien chuckled, completely unashamed. "You just happened to catch us in a rather intimate moment."

Alya raised her eyebrows and shook her head with a crooked smile, as though conceding to accept their story even if she didn't quite believe it. "All right. But, Marinette, can I have a word with you, please?"

Alya dragged her friend out into the hallway before even receiving an answer and closed the door. All Adrien could hear was muffled voices, but it sounded like they were arguing, or at least in an intense conversation. Then Marinette opened the door and came back into the apartment.

"We'll see you tomorrow, Alya," she called, waving out the door then closed it with a relieved sigh.

"What was that all about?" Adrien asked.

Marinette grinned. "Alya was a little worried that you might take advantage of me. You know, since I have such a huge crush on you that I can't control myself in your presence."

"Is that so?" He asked, carefully sounding only politely interested.

"Mmm hmm," she shrugged and nodded. "So I told her that she'd actually caught _me_ taking advantage of _you_ when she walked in. And that you'd already promised to be on your very best and most gentlemanly behavior."

"That I have, M'lady." He put his hand over his heart solemnly and bowed low.

It was a mistake. As soon as he stood upright again he felt a rush of vertigo and swayed on his feet.

"Adrien!" Marinette grabbed his arm and led him to the sofa to sit down.

"I don't think it's because of my head," he said, feeling his heart racing.

"The Hell it's not!"

"No, really. How much blood do you think I lost?"

"I don't know. Maybe half a litre or more."

"Yeah, I think I just need to drink some water."

Marinette brought him a glass of water, then curled up next to him on the sofa. Adrien wrapped his arm around her shoulders and sighed as she leaned against him, resting her head under his chin.

"You know, it's funny, I've often sat on this sofa wishing you were with me, just like this," he confided, rubbing his knuckles up and down her arm.

"And all that time I was dreaming of being with you. Yeah, it is kind of funny. And you were really Chat Noir all along."

Thinking of being Chat made Adrien wonder about his kwami. "I sure hope Plagg is okay. Shouldn't they be back by now?"

"I don't know. Tikki just said he needed treatment and not to worry about him. We can go get them tomorrow if they don't come back by then."

"I wonder what kind of treatment an injured kwami needs? He's supposed to be the embodiment of the force of destruction, how do you heal something like that?"

"I don't know. Tikki got sick once and Master Fu healed her with some sort of meditation session somehow."

"What? When did this happen?"

"Right after we defeated the Magician of Misfortune. I didn't even know Master Fu was the Guardian at the time. I told him Tikki was an exotic cat," she laughed. "He went along with it."

"A cat?" Adrien chuckled, too. "You brought him the spirit of creation itself, and called her a cat?"

"Yeah, well I was a little distracted. You were being mind controlled by Princess Fragrance. And I didn't know that he knew all about the kwamis. I didn't find out who he was until later when I brought him that old book about kwamis and superheroes..."

"What book?" Adrien sat up a little to look at her. "Are you talking about my father's book?"

"Oh, um, yeah. You probably want to know about what happened with that. Well, that girl Lila stole it from you and dumped it in the trash so you wouldn't catch her with it. Tikki got it out and said that the information it held was very important and that we couldn't give it back. But I was worried that you would get into trouble if you lost it, so Master Fu took pictures of all the pages and I returned the book to your father."

"So that must have been partly why you once suspected that my father was Hawkmoth."

"Yes, it was."

"But he can't be. Because he got akumatized after that."

"Yeah, not unless he can akumatize himself..."

The speculative look on Marinette's face made Adrien feel very uncomfortable.

"...which is impossible... right?" he pressed.

"I... I think so." But she didn't look very certain.


	16. Chapter 16

**AN: This chapter was surprisingly challenging. While I could make it work from Adrien's POV, it turned out to be much more interesting from Marinette's. After re-writing several times, I finally worked out all the unexpected kinks. So here it is. Thank you, everyone, for your follows and especially your reviews. I cherish them all even if I don't have time to respond to all of them.**

Golden sunshine streamed through the sliding glass door, highlighting lazy dust motes floating in the still air. The only sounds were the faint noise of cars driving up and down the street outside and the relaxed even breathing of the two people sharing a small bed against the wall.

Marinette was sure she must have been dreaming. Her sleep-addled mind had obviously been playing beautiful and cruel jokes on her. She'd been so convinced that she was actually dating Adrien Agreste. Not just dating, but actually starting to feel comfortable with him, and even kissing him! But then, in a wild turn of events, her dream shifted darkly, and Adrien had somehow become Chat Noir and he had been dying from a gunshot wound. None of it made any sense. It was just the kind of crazy nightmare mixed with wish-fulfillment, that she had long been used to while she dreamed.

And yet, the more she awoke, the more recent events returned to her memory. And she started to become physically aware of her immediate surroundings. She was sprawled languidly over Adrien's shirtless sleeping form. Her left hand was tucked in the crook of his neck and her right rested against his body down by her waist. With her head upon his chest she could hear the steady, reassuring beat of his heart. She could see the gentle rise and fall of his muscular abdomen. And when she shifted slightly, his hand moved unconsciously to keep its place on her back.

 _Oh my God, I'm in Adrien's bed!_ Was the first fully conscious thought that came to Marinette's mind. _Oh my god, oh my god! How can this possibly be real?_

She opened her bleary eyes and blinked. She saw the yellow beams of sunlight shining onto the foot of the bed. Her dress from the previous night was draped over Adrien's chair, sparkling dimly in the shadows. The clock on Adrien's desk announced that it was already eight fifteen in the morning. On the bed, her legs rested alongside his but her torso was sprawled out on top of him. Then her gaze fell onto her right hand, which rested several inches below his navel, scandalously and precariously close to his...

A wave of heat rushed up her body and her breath stopped. _Holy Crap! Is he awake? Oh God, please let him be asleep! S_ lowly, cautiously, she lifted her hand away from Adrien's manhood, hoping that, if he was awake, it would seem like nothing more than shifting in her sleep.

Adrien just continued to breath slowly and evenly, apparently unaware of her movement. Marinette heaved a silent, blushing sigh of relief. Then proceeded to watch the captivating movement of his chiseled abdomen slowly undulating with his breath. She inhaled the warm, heady, masculine scent that seemed to radiate from him.

Marinette tried to remember clearly what had happened the previous night. After Chat Noir had been shot by a criminal in an attempted museum robbery, she had carried him away to prevent witnesses from learning who he was. When he had transformed back into Adrien, her panic had skyrocketed into frantic wild despair.

Later, after he had seemed to recover a bit, the revelation had really started to sink in that Chat Noir was Adrien. Adrien was Chat Noir. They were the same person. It was impossible, unfathomable. But the more she thought of it the more she was astonished that she'd been able to avoid realizing it for so long. Yet still, in her mind, she had difficulty not thinking of them as two separate people. Had it been that way for him, when he'd discovered her identity?

They had talked long into the night together about the many questions and secrets surrounding their double lives. Mysteries, like the ends of string, tied together, puzzle pieces finally had a match. She had inadvertently led the discussion to her suspicion of Gabriel Agreste as Hawkmoth. But Adrien had seemed very reluctant to pursue that possibility, and for the first time she understood why. She decided to drop the subject for now. It was only a suspicion, after all. They would need some compelling evidence to act on it.

After several hours of talking, they both realized that they were exhausted. Insisting that she would not leave his side, Marinette had been prepared to sleep on the floor in his room. Adrien's bed was clearly much too small for two people to sleep in it comfortably. Well, at least not side by side.

Adrien had given her a look which was all at once patient, condescending, amused, and wicked, then told her not to be ridiculous and pulled her into his bed. She recalled his arms around her. She remembered his hot breath on her neck. There had definitely been a bit of awkwardness while they tried to get comfortable together. And then she must have fallen asleep, because she couldn't remember anything more. As unbelievable as it was, that had to have been the case. How had she possibly relaxed enough to have fallen asleep, sprawled out on Adrien's bare chest, in his bed, with the fresh knowledge that he was actually Chat Noir, and having just washed off copious amounts of his blood from a gunshot wound to his head? Maybe she had fainted? That seemed the most probable explanation.

Marinette shifted, bringing her hands under her chin to look up at Adrien's face. His expression was serene, with a quality of almost childlike innocence in sleep. But his features were definitely no longer those of a child. In the years she had known him, he had filled out, the curves of his face were not quite as soft as they once were, more angular, but in a good way. Maturity had been very kind to him. If someone had told her three years ago that Adrien would grow more attractive with age, she would have laughed in their face. But here was the undeniable proof. His face looked like it had been crafted by a master sculptor attempting to capture the perfect masculine visage.

She reached up and gently brushed a lock of hair from his forehead. "You are just too damned gorgeous. It's positively indecent." She whispered the words, careful not to wake him.

Adrien's lips twitched. Then his eyes fluttered open and Marinette felt her face heat up.

"Well, good morning to you, too, M'lady." The sly grin, the cocky lilting voice, even the smolder in his green eyes told her that he was one hundred percent Chat Noir right now. And for some reason, that seemed to embolden her. She grinned and pulled herself up so that her face was on level with his.

"I thought you were still asleep," she accused, and gave him a quick kiss.

"I figured as much," he grinned back. "By the way, you're the one who's positively indecent."

Marinette instantly looked down, afraid that something horrible might have happened, like her clothes falling off in the middle of the night. But they hadn't. "I'm just wearing your T-shirt and sweats. They probably look awful on me. Not that I don't appreciate them, of course," she added, hastily.

Adrien chuckled and sat up, scooting back a little to give her room. His eyes roved over her with a strangely hungry expression. "You've got to be kidding me. It should be illegal for someone to look as tempting and provocative as you do right now. But..." he raised his eyebrows in mock innocence. "If you don't like those clothes you're welcome to take them off."

 _Wait, did he just say what I think he just said?_

Adrien's serene expression cracked a bit as he watched her, waiting to see how she would respond. He pressed his lips together in an effort to keep from smiling.

"Wow! You really are a brazen flirt, aren't you?" Her tone was scolding. But inside she was reeling. _Adrien Agreste just suggested that I take off my clothes! Holy freaking cow! Wait, keep it together, Marinette. Take a breath. Remember, you were making out with him last night. Oh my god, I was making out with ADRIEN!_

Apparently unaware of the storm he had spawned inside her, Adrien thought for a moment, then chuckled again. "I guess you're right. I really am a flirt. I thought it was only when I was... _you know_..." He glanced at the wall, indicating that Nino might be able to hear them. "But maybe I'm not really the mild-mannered image of perfection my father groomed me to be." Then something troubling seemed to occur to him, he frowned and looked at her, worried. "I'm sorry. Did I go too far? I didn't mean to offend you."

"No, you didn't. Really, you didn't! I..." She blushed again, heart hammering madly still. Would she ever get over her nerves around him? "I actually like it as long as I know you're being genuine."

"Really?" He seemed incredulous.

"I mean if... _someone..._ came across as just a flirt who didn't care which girl was with him as long as he was being admired, then it would annoy me to death. But that's not really the case with you, is it?"

"Oh... _oh!_ No, definitely not. Not unless you count..." He trailed off and seemed to change his mind.

"What?"

"Well, I don't think it does count, so..."

"Adrien!"

He grimaced slightly, moved closer to her, and lowered his voice to a conspiratorial murmur. "Well, for a long time I really believed I was in love with Ladybug. But I think I also kind of had a crush on you at the same time."

"What? No. Really?"

He shrugged. "I never really could admit it to myself. But I would often catch myself watching you in school. I would look for excuses to touch you, too. Remember when our class was making that short horror film a few years ago? You stepped in for the lead role, and we were supposed to have that kissing scene? I was a lot more eager for that than I should have been if we were just friends. And when we danced together at Chloé's party a couple years ago..." He shook his head and smiled. "Well, you know..."

Marinette did know. It had been the most wonderful experience of her life up until recently. "So why didn't you ask me out a long time ago?"

"I was way too caught up with Ladybug to even realize that I liked you. And even though I could tell that you had a bit of a crush on me, I thought it was more of a fangirl crush on my public image, like all the other girls in the school, not really directed at me. And I also had a hard time getting to know you personally, because you never seemed comfortable around me. I would have really liked to, though."

Marinette wanted to get riled up that he'd assumed she was a fangirl. How could he have thought that? But then she remembered the countless numerable times she had made an absolute fool of herself around him, tripping over her words and her feet whenever he had been near, carrying around magazines with his images on the front covers, plastering his pictures all over her bedroom, agreeing to anything and everything he suggested regardless of what she really thought. She had totally acted like a fangirl. "Wow, I royally screwed that up. But, just so you know, I never had a crush on your public image. Even though it probably really looked like it. It was always you, the _real_ you."

"Oh, don't worry, I think I understand you much better now. Even though I saw about fifty posters of myself in your bedroom the last time I was in there..." His sideways glance and crooked grin said he was teasing. But Marinette turned beet red anyway.

"All right, I think I'm done being embarrassed this morning," she said, wishing she could smack him with a pillow to wipe the smirk off of his face, but worried that it would hurt him if she did. "How does your head feel?"

"Much better," he answered, raising his hand to gingerly feel the wound under his hair. He winced at his own touch. "Still a bit tender, though."

Marinette brushed back his hair to take a look. The sight made her stomach churn. But, she had to admit, it was much, much better than it could have been. There was a small gash where the bullet had made contact and penetrated his scalp. A dark angry bruise had blossomed around the open wound, as big around as the circumference of a baseball. But fortunately, once he washed the rest of the blood away, the injury should be almost unnoticeable under his hair.

Her stomach growled.

"Are you hungry?" Adrien asked. Then, before she could answer, "Come on, I'll get you some breakfast."

Adrien carefully got to his feet and Marinette felt her heart jump into her throat again at the sight of him. Soft golden sunlight caressed the muscles of his arms and chest, casting the ripples of his abdomen into gentle relief. His pajama bottoms hung low on his hips, well below his navel, drawing her eyes to the place her right hand had so recently vacated. He held out his hand for her with a gentle smile. She swallowed hard before taking it. And they walked out of the bedroom together.

Nino was in the living room already, sitting on the sofa and eating a bowl of cereal. He looked up inquisitively when they emerged, but didn't seem at all surprised to see Marinette. Alya must have filled him in. Though exactly what she had told him was still in question.

"Morning, Nino," Adrien said, as casually as if Marinette lived there with them and walking out of his bedroom together was something they did every morning.

"Yo, Adrien... Marinette. Um... how's your head, dude? Heard you crashed your bike or something."

"Getting better. Is there any more of that cereal?"

"Er, no. This was all that was left."

"I'll just cook up some eggs, then," he winked at Marinette. "I'm actually getting pretty good at omelettes."

While Adrien started whipping together some eggs Nino finished his breakfast and strolled over to the kitchenette. "So, Marinette. Alya said that, um, she would bring you some clothes over in a little bit. You know, so you have, uh, something to wear besides..."

"Oh, good!" Marinette sighed. "I don't like the idea of heading home wearing this."

"So, what happened last night?" Nino asked, then his eyes popped wide and his back stiffened, realizing what he'd just said. "Er! I Mean! Um! With the bike! I mean the bike accident, of course! I wasn't talking about anything else that happened. Not that anything else did happen. And even if it did it's not my business. And I'm totally going to shut up right now!" He laughed nervously then snapped his mouth shut, looking back and forth between the two of them.

Marinette hid a snicker behind her hand and didn't trust herself to speak without either laughing or spewing a similar stream of embarrassed chatter, while Adrien took a moment before turning around from the stove. When he finally did, his expression was relaxed and pleasant; Marinette wondered how much effort was involved in keeping it so.

"Well, It was getting kind of late last night, and you know how I always feel drained after a big party, no matter how much fun it is. So I was going to head back here, but I didn't want to ditch Marinette, so I asked if she would like to come over for a while," he faltered slightly and looked at Marinette for help.

"And of course I agreed," she said. "So we grabbed his bike and started walking. But my feet started to hurt from my dress shoes, so he offered to give me a ride on the handlebars, you know, how we used to when we were little kids."

"But of course I couldn't see very well with her sitting there, and it was dark," Adrien continued, smiling appreciatively at Marinette. "And then my front wheel slipped through the grate in a storm drain. And we were thrown off." He seemed satisfied to end the story there, but Marinette decided to tie up a couple of loose ends,

"Adrien was a real hero. He grabbed ahold of me as soon as he lost control of the bike and protected me from the crash. He probably wouldn't have hit his head on a rock if he hadn't done that." She smiled. In one sense the story wasn't true; that hadn't happened at all. But in another sense it was so very true. How many times had Chat Noir thrown himself in the line of fire for her sake and suffered for it? "He looked pretty bad," she continued. "So we ditched the bike behind an apartment building and I helped him get home."

Adrien looked up from the frying pan to smile at her. "Marinette, we both know you were the hero last night. I don't know how I would have gotten home without you." Then he dished out the eggs and offered her a plate. "And...it turns out there's a very fine line between omelets and scrambled eggs," he said with a shrug and a self deprecating chuckle.

"I don't mind," she giggled, accepting the proffered plate and taking a bite of cheesy eggs.

The three friends chatted for a while while Adrien and Marinette finished their breakfast. Nino watched them interestedly. And Marinette wondered if he was noticing the strange new intimacy between her and Adrien and speculating about what it might mean. When Adrien finished with his eggs, he washed his plate and went to take a shower, leaving Marinette and Nino alone in the living room.

The silence for the first few seconds after Adrien left was deafening. Nino obviously had his suspicions about what Adrien and Marinette had been up to that night. And, while he might have asked Adrien all about it and maybe given him a fist bump or something, he didn't have any frame of reference for how to behave around Marinette. His eyes darted all over the room, he tapped his fingers together, he nodded his head to a beat that only he could hear.

"Hey, Nino, do you guys have any milk?" She asked, more to break the silence than because she actually wanted any.

"Oh, yeah, totally." He jumped up and poured some into a cup and handed it to her. Then he seemed to gather his courage. "You know, Marinette. I think my man, Adrien... he's really in to you. Like, seriously."

Marinette felt the heat rise to her cheeks. She hadn't been anticipating this. "Why do you say that?"

"I've just never seen him like this before. Well, he's had kind of a hero crush on Ladybug, but, I mean, what guy doesn't? Right?" He saw how Marinette's eyes widened in surprise and hurried on. "But with you it's totally different! He's so intense about you. And... and so sure. I can't even tease him about you because he just smiles and agrees with me. And... just little things. Like, he never goes around shirtless. Like ever! But now you're here and..." he waved his hand toward the bathroom where Adrien was showering.

"You think he's doing it for me?"

"That, or the guy has literally run out of shirts to wear."

Marinette's eyes wandered to the wall which hid the bathroom from her view. Adrien was in there right now, much more than shirtless. She imagined the hot stream of water sending tiny rippling cataracts over the contours of his chest and back, dripping over his cheeks and lips, cascading down the length of his whole body, his golden hair heavy and darkened with water.

"Um, Marinette?"

She snapped out of it. Apparently she'd been staring toward the bathroom with a goofy grin on her face. "Huh? Oh, yeah, that's really sweet of him I guess."

Nino raised his eyebrows. "I'm just sayin', I know you guys haven't been going out for very long, but he seems super serious. And I don't want to see my bro get hurt, you know what I mean?"

She smiled, understanding. "I don't want to see him get hurt either, Nino."

There was a knock at the door and Nino gave Marinette an approving nod before answering it.

"Have you guys seen the news! Oh my god! This is like the biggest thing ever!" Alya burst in. "Here, Marinette," she thrust an armful of clothes at her friend. "Nino, where's your laptop? Everyone is talking about this I mean, _everyone!_ "

As soon as Nino's laptop was out Alya frantically tapped the keyboard, navigating to the website for their local news station where there was a live broadcast video.

"Look, look, _look!_ " Alya pointed. The anchorman was sitting at his desk talking about the big story, but behind him there was a video showing grainy black and white security footage from the Musée d'Orsay, flashing between several different camera angles. A group of men sat bound in the cord of Ladybug's yo-yo. Police officers with weapons trained on the criminals had stationed themselves around the area. Chat Noir and Ladybug were being approached by Lieutenant Raincomprix.

 _I don't want to watch this. I really, really don't want to watch this._

Chat bowed to Ladybug and planted his staff. The staff started to extend, lifting him into the air a couple of feet. From the angle shown, you couldn't see where the blow came from, but suddenly Chat's head jerked to the side and he fell hard on the ground, rolling down one of the steps with his staff clanging next to him on the cement.

The camera angle changed, showing the police opening fire on the armed man. Ladybug drew in her yo-yo, collected her partner, and swung them both out of the scene.

It was a mercy that the video didn't include audio.

"I'm not going to jump to any conclusions this time," Alya said, sternly. "They are superheroes, after all, so who knows what they can actually handle. But I think Ladybug looks really worried about him in this video. I think it even looks like she's screaming when he gets hit, if they show the other angle again, you'll see... Yeah, there, see? Crap. I hope he's okay."

Marinette's mouth had gone dry. She wasn't sure what she could say in this situation, or even whether she should say anything at all. What would she say if she wasn't Ladybug? She couldn't think. She could only re-live the horror of the previous night over and over as it played in a continuous loop on the screen in front of her.

A warm hand rested on her shoulder. "Marinette?" Adrien's voice penetrated the dark haze in her mind. "You can use my room if you're ready to change your clothes."

She looked up at him and the spell was broken. There he was, her Chat, real and alive and whole, green eyes soft and concerned as he took in her expression. He was damaged, but he would be okay.

"Yeah, I... I should change." She started walking to the door.

"Omigosh! Did you hear what they just said?" Alya exclaimed. "They think they found the bullet that hit Chat Noir! Do you know what that means?"

Marinette's hand paused on the handle.

"That it went through his head?" Nino asked.

"No! The footage doesn't show any kind of exit wound. It means that the bullet bounced off him! How awesome is that?"

Marinette closed the door to Adrien's bedroom behind her. She didn't want to hear any more about exit wounds or bullets going through Chat's head. It was too soon. Her own wounds were still too fresh for that.

Alya's clothes were a couple of sizes too big for her. But her friend had been considerate enough to bring a stretchy shirt which wouldn't be ridiculously loose and to provide a belt to go with the capris. Marinette would just have to make do with wearing the dressy black flats she'd worn with her dress the night before.

Once she had changed she folded Adrien's T-shirt and sweatpants and placed them at the foot of the bed, then sat down for a moment to collect herself.

 _Why am I being so stupid about this? He didn't freak out when he saw the video of Ladybug passing out after the Foliager. What is wrong with me? He's fine! I know he's fine!_

But her eyes wandered over to the pillow at the head of Adrien's bed, and the evidence to the contrary was clear. A smudge of crimson stained the fabric where his wound had pressed against it in his sleep. He had been injured. Not temporarily hampered as he had been so many times by akuma attacks, but really and truly injured. And her miraculous could not do anything to change that.

There was a tap at the door.

"Oh, yes, come in," she said to whomever it was.

Adrien tentatively opened the door. "Are you okay?"

"I...I think so. I'm just..." Words failed her.

"Alya and Nino are gone," he told her, still peeking around the door as though afraid to enter his own room.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I should have come back out. I was just... thinking."

He ventured in, still looking worried. Marinette noticed for the first time that he was fully dressed. He must have put clothes on after his shower.

"I explained it to them the best I could." He lowered himself onto the bed next to her.

"Really? What did you say?"

"That you had been afraid for my life after the bike accident. And that watching the video probably brought back the memory of it too painfully for you. They understood and decided to give us some space. Is that what it is?"

"Yes... and no. There's more. I'm worried... about the future. It used to feel like we were pretty much invincible. Anything that went wrong could just be fixed with the flick of a yo-yo. But not that." She nodded toward him, indicating the now-hidden wound. "What if... what if next time you... what if I can't..." she couldn't bring herself to say it.

Adrien thought about it for a minute. "Your kwami said that this kind of work is what we're supposed to be doing, that fighting akuma attacks is highly unusual. Plagg and Tikki might have some advice to offer."

"Yes. You're right. They haven't come back to us yet, either. And unless I'm wrong, that probably means Master Fu wants to talk with us, too."

"Hmm, how much trouble do you think we're in for learning one another's identities?" Adrien asked with a nervous, crooked smile.

"I guess it's time we found out."


	17. Chapter 17

Marinette had returned to the bakery to change her clothes and catch up with her parents. Without her presence to distract him, Adrien felt the absence of his kwami more acutely than before. His anxiety for Plagg intensified. Just how badly hurt was the little guy? What if Tikki had been downplaying his injury so that he and Marinette wouldn't worry? What if the reason Plagg wasn't returning was because Master Fu couldn't heal him?

Adrien had very unique relationship with his kwami. Plagg wasn't exactly a pet, but there was that quality about how they interacted with one another. And even though he was often annoyed or exasperated with him, they were definitely friends. While Adrien would instantly answer that Nino was his best friend if asked, his relationship with Plagg was closer in many ways. They knew one another and relied on one another more than anyone else. They acted like parent and child in some ways; sometimes Plagg was the child, and sometimes it was Adrien. They taught one another, learned from one another, scolded one another, and took care of one another. Even though Adrien was supposed to be Plagg's master, Plagg was certainly no servant. Behind his heartbreakingly adorable appearance, Plagg really was the embodiment of destruction. He was the complimentary opposite to Ladybug's Tikki, the force of creation. Plagg had once told Adrien that he and Tikki were two halves of a whole. He was literally the Yin to her Yang. So how could Adrien, an ordinary human being, possibly be his master? Then again, how could Plagg have possibly gotten hurt?

Adrien tried to distract himself from worrying by filling out applications for universities and reading through the pamphlets he'd received in the mail. But none of it was nearly interesting enough to keep his mind from wandering. Every time he started filling in information or writing answers to questions he found himself fiddling with the platinum ring on his right hand and expecting to hear the tiny whine of Plagg begging for cheese or distracting him. And when he wasn't worrying about Plagg he was thinking about Marinette. Wondering how long she would want to be at home. Hoping she wasn't still upset about what had happened at the museum. Remembering how her supple body had pressed into his, how the sweet softness of her lips had felt under his tongue.

He pushed away the forms with an impatient grunt and decided to go wait for Marinette at the metro station by her house. He just needed to feel like he was actually doing something. And meeting her there meant that he would be able to see her that much sooner.

When he arrived at the station near the bakery he decided to send her a text. It took him a few minutes to decide what he wanted to say, though. He wondered if it would seem weird that he'd changed plans and gone out of his way to meet her. He didn't want to seem like some creepy stalker. And he didn't want her to feel like he was trying to make her hurry either, no matter how much he really wanted her to. After a few tries he finally just sent something.

 **Adrien: I am waiting for you at the metro station by your house. No need to hurry. I'll see you when you're ready.**

 _Ugh, does that sound weird? I think that sounds weird. "No need to hurry?" Maybe she'll think I don't want to see her. Why am I obsessing over this? Maybe I should have just said what I meant. "I'm waiting for you at the metro. Get here as soon as you possibly can. I'm worried about Plagg. And also being away from you feels like suffocating." Yeah, that would have gone over well. Real smooth._

Adrien put away his phone and leaned against the wall, prepared for a long wait. But before he had time to wonder how long he would be standing there, his phone buzzed in his pocket.

 **Marinette: I'll be right there.**

Minutes later Marinette came bustling down the stairs, and joined Adrien on the platform. "I thought we were going to meet at the massage parlor?" She asked, laughter in her eyes.

Adrien shrugged. "I'm pretty worried about my little friend. And I was driving myself crazy sitting around with nothing to do, so I had to get out. And also, I really missed you."

Her eyes somehow managed to sparkle even more than they already were. She threw her arms around him. "Oh, I missed you, too! It's been a whole hour!"

Adrien chuckled, pulled her in tightly, and pressed his lips to her hair. She smelled like warm cinnamon buns. "Look at us. We're hopeless, aren't we? How will we ever survive if we can't stand being apart for even an hour?"

She laughed into his chest and squeezed a little tighter.

"So your parents are cool with you going out for a while?"

"Yeah," She looked up to smile at him. "They're really swamped right now. Someone ordered like a thousand cinnamon palmiers. I'm pretty sure I was getting in the way more than helping. My dad was happy when I told him I was coming to meet you. He likes you a lot, you know."

Just then their train arrived, roaring and clacking over the tracks and pushing a gust of wind across the platform.

"Here we go," Marinette said. "I'm sure he's just fine." She added, seeing the renewed concern in Adrien's expression.

"Yeah, yeah. Of course he's fine..."

A fifteen minute metro ride and short walk brought them to Master Fu's massage parlor, situated just adjacent to a bend in the Seine. Marinette, as far as Adrien understood, had visited the Master many times seeking advice or help. Adrien had gone to him only twice before. Once when Plagg had casually announced that it was probably time he be introduced to the "Great Guardian". And once to ask for advice after a truly bizarre summer adventure, in which he and Ladybug had been taken to New York City to join forces with a team of American superheroes to help defeat a very akuma-like attack.

A "closed" sign hung from the door, even though it was still within posted business hours, and all the drapes had been drawn over the windows. Marinette rapped on the door and Master Fu, a diminutive Chinese man with graying hair and beard, opened it for them as though he had been expecting them to show up sooner or later. He beckoned them in and closed the door behind them, walking slowly into his house with his wooden cane. His usually kind and cheerful face seemed stern and a little sad.

"Come with me," Master Fu said. Adrien couldn't tell if his voice was angry or just businesslike, and he was suddenly very concerned for his kwami. Why hadn't Plagg rushed to him? Was he still hurt? Had he lost all memory? Had he died?

"Master Fu, please! Where is Plagg? Is he all right?" Adrien couldn't keep it in anymore.

"Over here," the Guardian responded, opening a door to the main room.

On a low massage table in the center of the room, Plagg was lying on his back, legs in the air, and balancing an orange on his feet like a performing circus animal.

"Watch this, Tikki!" he chirped. He rolled the orange with his feet until it was spinning in the air, kicked it up, then jumped and butted it with his head, sending it flying across the room where it collided with a fruit bowl, scattering the contents like bowling pins over the wood floor. "Oops."

Tikki giggled. "Plagg, you're such a show-off!"

"You know it!"

Behind him, Adrien heard Marinette giggle. "Oh my goodness he's so cute!"

"Plagg?" Adrien almost couldn't believe his eyes. He'd been so prepared for the worst.

"Hey, kid!" Plagg greeted. "Long time no see! How's the head?"

Adrien rushed over and picked up the little black bug-kitten, proving to himself that Plagg really was okay. "Me? What about you? You cheese-eating little pest! I've been worried sick about you! And here you are playing games and flirting with Tikki!"

Plagg opened his mouth in shock and looked highly affronted. "I'll have you know that I do _not_ flirt with Tikki!"

Adrien scoffed, "Yeah? So what do you call that?" He gestured to the apples, pears, and oranges scattered around the room.

Plagg stuck his nose in the air, folded his little arms, and closed his eyes haughtily. "That was merely a display of my athletic prowess." He slyly cracked a shining green eye to look at Tikki, who was too busy hugging Marinette at the moment to notice him. Adrien chuckled and went to pick up the fruit.

Master Fu settled himself onto a stool, looking somewhat less stern than he had a moment ago. "All right, first, Adrien, how is your injury? Are you recovering well?"

"Yes, Master Fu. It is still painful to touch, but I am much better already."

The old man nodded. "Good, good. Be very careful with it until you have fully recovered, don't take any unnecessary risks that might aggravate the injury.

"Now, the time has come for us to have a serious talk. You have discovered each other's identities, and because of this you risk disastrous consequences." He turned to look at Marinette, who was reaching under a cupboard to retrieve a piece of fruit. "Tikki did tell you that your identities must be kept a secret, yes?"

Marinette dropped the orange in alarm. "Yes, of course she did!"

"It wasn't Marinette's fault, sir." Adrien interjected, placing the fruit bowl back on the table and turning to face him. "If anyone is to blame, it's me. I was dropping hints all over the place, but she never picked them up. She wouldn't have found out who I am if it hadn't been for the accident last night. And she even kept my identity from being revealed to the whole world when she carried me home."

Master Fu turned on him. "And you had already discovered her identity by that time, I'm told."

"Yeah, I didn't mean to."

"You saw similarities and guessed who she was?"

"Sort of."

"And how exactly did you know you had guessed correctly?"

Plagg, sitting on the gramophone on the other side of the room, rolled his eyes. "Okay, fine, I can see where this is going. I told him! All right?" the little kwami huffed. "And I'm not sorry about it, either."

"Plagg..." Master Fu closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. He looked distinctly like a parent trying to deal with a particularly troublesome and unrepentant teenager. "Why am I not surprised?"

"Yeah. I encouraged him to find out Ladybug's identity. But he always resisted. This isn't the kid's fault. He just finally guessed who she was. And when he asked me, I told him he was right. What's the big deal? We all knew this was going to happen eventually. Better sooner than later if you ask me."

"Plagg!" Tikki zoomed over to him, scowling. "You were encouraging your Chosen to break the rules?"

"This was highly irresponsible of you, Plagg," Master Fu joined in, wagging a finger at him. "I am very disappointed in you!"

Plagg eyed Master Fu sullenly.

"The rules are there for a reason!" The old man continued. "Do you want to cause trouble? Or do you just not care about your Chosen?"

At his last words Plagg seemed to become truly angry. He snarled. His eyes clouded. Bubbles of black energy seemed to coalesce in them just like when Chat used his cataclysm. Plagg floated up and appeared to swell with power. The room darkened and grew eerily cold. When he spoke, it was in Mandarin Chinese, which Adrien and Master Fu could understand but Marinette could not. "Have you forgotten who I am, Fu?" He demanded, his voice radiated with terrible power, like a massive earthquake, or the explosion of a volcano, or the roar of a tornado. "Has a mere hundred and fifty years been enough to dim your memory? Tikki is the day! I am the night! She is what is seen! I am what is hidden! She is security! I am danger! She is obedience! I am rebellion! It is for Tikki to follow the rules always. It is for me to break them when I see fit. Would you disrupt the balance of nature for this?"

Adrien and Marinette shrank back from the terrifying force of his words. Master Fu watched Plagg, considering what he said. If he was frightened of the fierce and deadly change in Plagg, he didn't seem to show it. And Tikki, far from being afraid, floated over to her other half and nuzzled him. "You're right, of course," she said.

Plagg relaxed and his eyes lightened back to shining emerald green. Tikki held on to him as though comforting him, closed her eyes, and concentrated. Her body glowed with a golden light. Warmth radiated from her small form like a sunrise, and in a few moments the room was comfortable and bright once more.

"Very well," Master Fu said, bowing his head in resignation. "If this is how it must be..." He sighed. "Come have a seat, you two,"

Adrien and Marinette were standing frozen in astonishment at what they had just witnessed, but came forward obediently when the old man called.

"Plagg... You mind telling me what that was all about?" Adrien asked nervously as he took a seat.

"I just lost my temper a little bit," the kwami grumbled with a shrug, and settled onto Adrien's shoulder.

"Lost control, is more like it," Tikki said, rolling her eyes. "He really should be more careful right after a restorative session."

Master Fu brought out his tea tray and poured a cup of tea each for the two humans and two little ceramic thimbles for the kwamis. "I hadn't been expecting you two to discover each other's identities for a few more years," he said. "So we have some catching up to do. There are two main things I want to cover today. First there are some new rules which you should obey to the best of your abilities, unless your better judgement tells you otherwise," he nodded toward Plagg. "Second, I am going to start instructing you, Chat Noir, on the art of calming meditation. Plagg can generally protect you from Hawkmoth's akumas. But it is by no means a guarantee. Only the earrings of the Ladybug grant completely immunity to dark forces. So you must be prepared to defeat your own negative emotions when they arise. Otherwise they may be used to defeat you."

Adrien gulped. He had been afraid that this was the case. The idea that Hawkmoth might be able to akumatize him was one of his worst fears. Marinette took Adrien's hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze.

"But first, the rules. Now that you each know who the other is, you need to be all the more careful, especially since you are so close to one another. Some people can be much more observant than trustworthy. So firstly, when you need to transform you must try to find separate locations to do so, just as you always have done before. And secondly, when you are finished defeating an enemy, always head in different directions when you leave the area, and never go directly to your home."

Adrien and Marinette nodded their understanding.

"Third, Adrien, if you insist on calling Ladybug by trademark pet names, do so only when you are Chat Noir. Even in private, do not go around calling her thing like...um..."

"Bugaboo? M'lady? Lovebug?" He grinned at Marinette who rolled her eyes but smiled just the same. Tikki giggled. Plagg made a gagging sound.

"Precisely! Invent some other terms of endearment for her when you are in your normal lives. If you get into the habit, those words will come out without your permission when you least expect it, and someone is bound to hear."

Adrien nodded seriously, remembering how he had slipped and made a cat pun while playing a video game with Marinette's father. He saw how it would be all too easy to start calling Marinette 'M'lady' in public by accident. He'd practically been doing it already.

"Which brings us to rule number four. You are not to speak of your superhero lives while you are your normal selves in any public place, no matter how cryptic you think you are being. If you must discuss something, it can usually wait until you are somewhere private. If you need to talk about it immediately, it is better to transform somewhere quickly and talk as Ladybug and Chat Noir than to risk someone listening in and discovering your secret."

"I think we can follow those rules easily," Marinette said. "After all, it won't be any different than how we've done things for the past three years not knowing each other's identities."

"Yes, that's the point of the rules, so there will be no observable change in your behavior. But now you do know each other's identities, so it will inevitably be very different for you. I'm afraid you will find these rules difficult to follow sometimes. And the next rule might prove to be the hardest to bear, in the long run."

"What is it?" She asked.

"The fifth rule, Ladybug, is that you should not become with child until after your enemy is defeated."

Adrien's mind seemed to suddenly run away with him. Images surfaced all on their own of Marinette in his arms, clinging to him, and sighing his name into his ear. Followed by images of Marinette, joyful and glowing and rounded with their child.

"B-but," Marinette sputtered. "We're...um... we haven't... I mean... are you saying that... Hawkmoth? We have to defeat Hawkmoth before I can have a b-baby?"

"No, that is incorrect on both counts. First, this is merely a very, very strong suggestion. Try to imagine being with child and attempting to defeat a villain. It would be possible, but certainly dangerous for both you and the baby. And once your child is born, you would have obligations from which you cannot run at a moment's notice. It would take a lot of planning, and probably a very reliable babysitter who doesn't ask a lot of questions.

"And second, Hawkmoth is an enemy. But it is my suspicion, and I have good reason for believing this, that Hawkmoth is not the ultimate enemy, merely one step up in the ladder."

"Um, what?" Adrien shook himself out of his preoccupation with imagining himself and Marinette as parents.

"Hmmmm..." Master Fu smiled and nodded. "Do you remember certain akuma attacks during which the villain controls other people, using them to do his or her evil bidding?"

"Yeah, a lot of them have been like that," Adrien said. He started counting them out on his fingers. "Stone Heart, The Puppeteer, The Pharaoh, Darkblade, Princess..."

"Precisely," Master Fu interrupted. "So imagine that those minions are at the bottom of the ladder. The next step up is the victim of the akuma, the one who is directly controlling them. The next step after that is Hawkmoth who akumatized them. But it is my belief that there is yet another step beyond Hawkmoth, one we have not yet fully encountered. It is this enemy which ultimately needs to be defeated. And you will not be able to rest easily until it is finished."

"So, you think that Hawkmoth is being controlled by someone else?" Marinette asked.

"Perhaps 'someone' isn't the right way to put it," he answered. "But I think there is certainly some _thing—_ a destructive dark force—that has turned a good man evil."

"Why do you think that?"

Master Fu seemed to consider for a moment, then shook his head. "Too many questions for today. I have my reasons for believing so. And, if my sources are correct, you have seen some of the evidence yourselves already."

Adrien and Marinette looked at one another as if to ask, _do you have any idea what he's talking about?_

"For now, just remember your new rules. And, Adrien, I want you to stay here for a bit. We will do your first meditation lesson immediately."

"Oh, yeah, the sooner the better," he agreed.

Tikki winked at Plagg and flew into Marinette's purse. Adrien thought he saw his kwami actually blushing. But that was impossible, of course.

"I'll wait for you outside, Adrien," Marinette said. "We can get lunch together when you're done." She smiled at him and let herself out.

"Now," Master Fu said, turning to face Adrien and addressing him gravely. "I'm afraid that you aren't going to enjoy this at all."


	18. Chapter 18

The lesson in meditation took longer than Adrien had anticipated. And, as Master Fu had warned, it was exceedingly unpleasant. It started off well enough. The old man sat him down and instructed him on how to breathe properly and focus on something beautiful, peaceful, and unchanging. Something that would always be there no matter what, like the sunrise. Adrien thought he was doing rather well. But once he had the technique down, Master Fu decided to make him practice the technique under more tryin circumstances, like when he was irritated or angry.

For a kind, easygoing old man, the Master was surprisingly good at making someone irritated and angry. He turned the air conditioning off so that his house became uncomfortably stuffy. He made Adrien perform complicated mathematical problems while listening to a record of the most annoying screeching sounds imaginable. He promised that if Adrien finished the math within a certain time he would be free to go. But as soon as it looked like Adrien might finish, Master Fu snatched the paper away from under his pencil and gave him a new one to complete.

Every time Adrien felt his anger and frustration rising he was supposed to practice the technique he'd learned to calm himself. He had some success, but still the session left him feeling drained. When they were finally done he gladly escaped the massage parlor with Plagg. He was not looking forward to the next session.

Adrien found Marinette waiting for him on a bench under a tree near the river. He sat down next to her and took her hand. "I didn't expect that to take so long," he said. "Sorry to keep you waiting."

"He sure gave us a lot to think about, didn't he?" Marinette asked.

"Yes. And I really want to talk about it all, but I think most of it will have to wait until we're somewhere private."

"Yeah," she agreed. "So, want to get lunch? We can talk about boring things like the weather and sports."

Adrien laughed, "Yeah, that sounds great. How about we get something for takeout and eat it at my place? We should be able to talk there."

They stopped by a popular diner and ordered some sandwiches, then made their way back toward Adrien's apartment building, talking about whatever safe topics they could think of. Adrien described the thoroughly unpleasant lesson in meditation he'd had to endure. Marinette talked about how her grandmother had struggled to convince her to wear the daring red sequined dress to the party the previous night. Adrien smiled at the memory. "I really do need to thank your grandmother for that. I think she's officially one of my favorite people now," he grinned.

They started to talk about plans for the future, but that conversation was short-lived because it quickly slipped dangerously close to the reason neither of them could leave Paris. Marinette told him that Alya suspected Nino was planning to propose. Adrien didn't know anything about Nino proposing, and Marinette was somewhat disappointed in his lack of inside information.

When they turned a corner, about a block away from Adrien's apartment, they saw it. An all-too-familiar sleek black car was parked at the curb directly in front of the apartment building.

Adrien froze in place, confused and a little frightened. Was his father here? Why? What could it mean?

"Adrien?" Marinette asked.

"That's my father's car."

"Yeah, I know. Do you want me to come with you, or should I leave you two alone?"

He looked at her and took a breath. "I want you to be with me. But, just so you know, he and I didn't part on the best of terms. This might be unpleasant."

She squeezed his hand reassuringly and they walked forward together.

The back door of the car opened and Gabriel Agreste stepped out, looking stern but resigned. He closed the door behind himself and stepped into the walkway, watching his son approach.

"Hello, Father," Adrien said.

"Adrien," Gabriel nodded to his son.

They regarded one another in silence for a moment. Gabriel looked more stressed than he usually did. His eyes were slightly red, with hints of shadows underneath. His clothes, though clean and fashionable, were not quite as immaculately put together as they usually were. A wrinkle here and there hinted that their wearer had been too distracted to notice.

Gabriel's eyes shifted to Marinette for a moment, and whether or not he recognized her, Adrien couldn't tell. His father regarded her impassively, then turned his attention back to his son.

"I want you to come back home." He said it bluntly, but with a hint of barely concealed desperation.

"I can't do that, father, even if I wanted to. I've signed a lease for this apartment, and I agreed to share the cost of rent with my roommate. I'm not going to bail on him."

Gabriel's cheek twitched and he looked both frustrated and confused. "You're paying rent to yourself?"

It was Adrien's turn to be confused. "What?"

Gabriel looked mildly disappointed. "S.A.A. owns this building and several other's in this district. Surely you have investigated the assets in in your trust fund? You weren't aware that you are the sole shareholder of _Société Adrien Agreste_?"

Adrien was dumbfounded. But he stubbornly didn't want to give any ground to his father. He was still very angry with him, and this bit of information seemed almost designed to rankle him. Realizing that he was starting to lose his temper, Adrien took a moment to breathe and calm himself, as Master Fu had instructed. Marinette twined her fingers with his in solidarity, but said nothing.

"No, I haven't gone through it all yet. And you're right, I should know what is in there. But regardless, I'm not moving back in with you. I'm enjoying being out on my own. I'm learning a lot. And you've made it pretty clear that if I lived in the mansion I would have to be under supervision all the time. That's not an option anymore."

Gabriel's eyes narrowed. "I am willing to make a compromise with you, if only we can discuss it. You can have more freedom, more leisure time, more visits from friends, even parties if that's what you want. I simply cannot bear the thought of you being out here where anything might happen to you. I couldn't bear it if I lost you, too."

As far as Adrien was concerned, this was below the belt, a cheap shot. No matter how much his father truly meant what he was saying, to use his mother as a weapon like that was uncalled for. He gritted his teeth. And when he answered, it didn't sound as calm as he had hoped for. "Why do you even think you would lose me? Everyone else seems to get by pretty well without twenty-four-hour supervision. Why should I be any different?"

"Because you _are_ different! You are my son! You matter to me!"

Adrien felt the stinging in his eyes and the lump in his throat and hated it. Why, when he was already fighting anger with all of his might, did he also have to feel the cut of those words? He wished his father would just choose one side to fall on. Either ignore him completely, let him go and not give him another thought, or love him as a father ought to, by being there for him when it mattered. Adrien looked away, not wanting to show his weakness.

Gabriel sighed and changed the subject. "So... is this the lady friend you were so eager to take to the movies last month?"

"Yes. This is Marinette."

Marinette nodded in acknowledgment. "Mr. Agreste," she practically whispered.

"Marinette? Yes... yes I remember." And Gabriel's expression actually seemed to lighten. "You designed the award winning derby hat for my magazine. And, if I recall correctly, you also have done some work for Jagged Stone."

"Yes, that's right," she brightened, impressed that he remembered her.

"Your skill is truly remarkable. You have my admiration. And, am I right in assuming that you are my son's date to the couture event next week?"

"Yes. He's invited me to come see it with him."

Gabriel nodded, then sighed and turned his eyes back to Adrien, resting his hand on his son's shoulder with an almost pleading expression. "I can see that you aren't ready to consider my offer right now. But understand that I am willing to give you much more freedom, if only I can have you safely back at home with me. Please think about it."

Adrien nodded his understanding and turned to look down at Marinette, seeking comfort in her eyes. When he did, Gabriel noticed the bruising mostly hidden under Adrien's blonde hair.

"What happened?" He asked, raising his hand as though to investigate the injury.

Adrien flinched back. "It's nothing. Just a bike accident. I fell and hit a rock. I'll be fine."

Gabriel furrowed his brow. "Is that so? You should wear a helmet when you ride."

"Yeah, yeah, I know."

Gabriel stared speculatively at his son for a moment, then glanced down at the ring on Adrien's right hand. "Yes, you should definitely be more careful next time." He seemed to be deep in thought for a few seconds, then snapped out of it. "Well, I will be seeing you next week then?"

"At the show. Yeah, I'll be there."

Gabriel Agreste tightened his lips, nodded once, and returned to his car without another word. Adrien and Marinette watched him leave in silence before turning to enter the apartment building together.

"Sorry about that," Adrien sighed, punching in the key code. "I'm actually surprised that hasn't happened sooner. The last time we spoke was on my birthday, when we had a fight and I told him I was moving out." He sniffed once and hastily wiped an eye. "The code to get in here is two, three, seven, four, three, six, if you ever need it, by the way. I can make a key for you, too. Not that you really need one. But I like the idea that you can always come here if you need to. Maybe that's going too far, I don't know. This whole dating thing is new to me. A lot of stuff is new to me. It seems like so much is happening really fast right now, doesn't it? I mean, we just graduated yesterday, and then there was that party, and then the museum... well, you know. And last night was pretty amazing. I mean, aside from my accident, it was basically the best night of my life. And I'm not exaggerating when I say that. And then today, all that new stuff we learned, I mean my mind is blown. And who would have thought that I actually own the company that owns my apartment building? How crazy is that?"

Adrien continued his stream of nonstop chatter up the stairs and into his apartment. When they entered, the only noise was the churning rushing sound of the washing machine running a load of laundry.

Marinette put the bag with their food down on the coffee table, then turned to Adrien. In a very Ladybug-like gesture, she silenced him by placing her fingers against his lips. "Shhh. It's okay." She wrapped her arms around him and pulled him into a warm embrace.

Adrien felt something crack inside him. He threw his arms around her shoulders and hugged her back as though he were suffocating and she was air, as though he was dying of thirst and she was cool water. He felt his throat tightening and his eyes stinging again, and he resented how his body betrayed him. He wished he could just pretend that his father meant little to him. That moving out had been an easy decision. That seeing his father again and being begged to come home was just a minor irritation. And what must Marinette think? Wouldn't she despise him for this? Crying like a small child just because daddy wanted him to go home?

Slowly, like venom being drawn from a snakebite, the pressure in his chest eased, his breath came more easily, the tears stopped trickling down his cheeks. Marinette's embrace shifted from being like water to a man dying of thirst to a refreshing pool on a sweltering day. He held onto her, enjoying how her love and acceptance seemed to refresh his spirit. Then he loosened his grip and looked down at her. "I'm sorry. I must seem like a total lunatic to you."

She reached up and brushed a tear off of his cheek, then playfully tapped his nose. "I wish you would stop saying you're sorry for things you shouldn't be sorry for."

Adrien blinked. "Oh... sorry?" He grinned sheepishly.

Marinette giggled softly, wrinkled her nose, and pulled him down to kiss him.

When her mouth met his it was like a light switch was flipped on. The shadows were chased away, and the world felt right again. He pulled her closer, deepening the kiss, spreading his hands over her back. Marinette twined her fingers in his hair, holding him tightly to her as though afraid he might escape. Her tongue slid lightly over his lips; her warm breath filled his mouth. Adrien hummed in pleasure, his heart hammering in his chest. He began to feel dizzy in a very pleasant sort of way.

The sound of the refrigerator opening and closing made them jump.

"Don't mind me," Plagg said, nonchalantly carrying a wheel of Brie out of the kitchen and plopping it down on the coffee table. "By the way, we need to get more cheese, a little muenster would be nice. I like to branch out sometimes."

Marinette giggled. "I'd almost forgotten they were here. I take it he likes cheese?"

"It's all he ever eats." Adrien smiled crookedly and rolled his eyes. "Oh, you two haven't really met properly yet, have you? Marinette, this is Plagg. Plagg, Marinette."

"It's nice to finally meet you, Plagg," She crouched down to his eye level. "You must be the reason Adrien always smells slightly of Camembert."

Plagg smiled and looked toward the heavens, as though caught up in rapturous delight. "The delicate fragrant bouquet of sweet gooeyness. Mmmm, who could object to it?"

From the kitchen countertop, Tikki giggled at him. "Plagg has always loved stinky food. For a while he was obsessed with fermented tofu." She made a disgusted face. "So are we going to talk about things, or do you two need some more time?" She grinned slyly at Marinette.

"If there's going to be more kissing, can't it wait until after I've eaten?" Plagg grumbled around a mouthful of cheese.

"You're right," Marinette nodded. "We should talk while we have a chance."

She and Adrien sat down on the sofa together while Tikki joined Plagg on the coffee table. The black kwami held out a piece of cheese for her but Tikki grimaced in disgust. He shrugged and ate it himself.

"So the first thing I want to ask," Marinette began. "Is how can we keep Chat from getting hurt or... or worse? With the akuma attacks everything could be fixed with my Miraculous Ladybug power. Is there something like that, or something else we can do to safeguard against injury?"

"It's like I told you before, Marinette," Tikki explained. "You need to stay on your guard, even after the bad guys are caught. Last night you two were acting like everything was already taken care of at the museum, but those robbers were still dangerous. The policemen were being cautious, with shields and bulletproof vests and guns. All you have to do is pay closer attention until the bad guys are in custody."

"Ah, Tikki. Ever the optimist," Plagg drawled, sniffing and examining the last bit of cheese. "It isn't really as simple as that, is it?"

"We don't have to get into all that," Tikki waved him off. "And being cautious does help."

"Get into all what?" Marinette demanded, looking at Plagg.

"As you probably know already, Tikki grants the power of good luck. My power is bad luck—"

"Is this really necessary, Plagg?" Tikki cut in. "It's kind of a moot point. And they have to deal with so much right now already."

"If they don't know the whole truth, how can they really deal with it?" Plagg demanded, waving his little arms in exasperation.

"All right, go ahead," Tikki sighed.

"Well, we always have to balance one another," Plagg continued, holding his little paws out like the two sides of a scale. "The two powers have to be equal. Ladybug has good luck, and Chat Noir has bad luck. Chat Noir has to have bad luck, or Ladybug cannot have good luck. You remember what happened with that plant man, when you tried to go it alone?" he asked Marinette.

She nodded.

"When you don't have Chat Noir with you, your luck runs dry."

Adrien remembered how, in all their fights with akumatized villains, he had always been the one to get captured or mind-controlled or locked in a freezer. The only times Ladybug had ever had similar bad luck was when he hadn't been there to help her.

"So... Chat is the fall guy?" Marinette asked, horrified. "You're saying he's there to take a beating so I don't?"

"That's only a small part of what he does, Marinette," Tikki soothed. "You know there's so much more to him than that. In his own way, Chat Noir is every bit as powerful as Ladybug."

"So, we just need to be careful not to rely on luck to get the job done," Adrien observed. "Because the more we rely on Ladybug's good luck, the more bad luck I'll run into. Is that it?"

"Just like I was saying," Tikki chirped. "Be observant, don't let your guard down, be prepared. Then, with a little bit of luck," she winked, "everything will be fine!"

"Okay, 'be careful', point taken," Adrien said. "The next thing I want to know is: what in the world was Master Fu talking about? Is there another enemy out there? Someone more powerful than Hawkmoth?"

"Well, I don't know for sure," Tikki confessed. "We've been dormant for a while and might have missed some things. But I think it might have something to do with what happened last summer."

Adrien remembered. It had been one of the most bizarre things that had ever happened to him and Ladybug. He'd been in the middle of a photo shoot on a yacht when an akuma had attacked. He and Ladybug had defeated the akuma and he'd been moments away from transforming back into his normal self when an American superhero, called The Doorman—who had the ability to creat portals through space—had found him and taken him to New York City. He and Ladybug had joined forces with other famous American superheroes, Knight Owl, Sparrow, Majestia, and Uncanny Valley, to battle a ferocious monster calling itself "The Trash Krakken". In the end, the Trash Krakken had turned out to be an ordinary man who had been contaminated by a mysterious black substance which seemed to have similar evil effects as an akuma. Once Ladybug had purified the substance, the man had reverted back to his usual self, a kind and devoted father who had been searching for his child's toy.

"You think it has something to do with that black stuff we found in New York?" He asked. "That makes sense, I guess, but that was on the other side of the world. And we haven't seen any of that stuff here in Paris."

Tikki looked thoughtful. "No, but people travel sometimes. It could be that whoever or whatever was behind the Trash Krakken and that black substance is also behind Hawkmoth. Maybe both Hawkmoth and the black substance originate from the same place. It's only a guess, of course. Master Fu doesn't want you running off to try to figure it out yet. You're supposed to defeat Hawkmoth first. We can't leave Paris until you do."

"But, if Hawkmoth is like the Trash Krakken, then he might have something on him that's contaminated, something that needs to be purified," Marinette said.

"Or," Plagg suggested, "he might be the one spreading that black stuff around, trying to draw out more miraculouses. Or maybe they aren't really connected at all, and Master Fu was mistaken, or talking about something else, when he said you'd seen evidence already. I don't think we'll get anywhere trying to figure it out now."

Plagg suddenly picked up his ears, looked at the door, and bolted into Adrien's pocket. Tikki, taking the hint, darted into Marinette's bag. There was the sound of a key turning in the lock, and the door opened. Nino, Alya, and Ivan walked in.

"Oh, hey you two!" Nino said, noticing Adrien and Marinette.

"We aren't interrupting anything, are we?" Alya asked, grinning and raising her eyebrows.

"Maybe a little," Adrien winked, putting his arm around Marinette who stifled a giggle. "Hey, Ivan. What are you three up to?"

"We ran into Ivan outside a florist's shop and got to talking," Alya said. "You know, Mylène is having a birthday party tomorrow, and he wants to do something a little extra special for her."

Ivan, a towering and imposing young man, looked down and shuffled his feet shyly.

"But my man here needs some encouragement!" Nino said, clapping Ivan on the back. "So we're going to help him be suave when he pops the big question."

Ivan blushed so hard he looked like a tomato.

"What?!" Adrien and Marinette jumped up in unison.

"Yep!" Alya grinned, grabbing Ivan's arm and giving him a little shake. "Ivan is going to ask Mylène to marry him. And she is totally going to say yes!"

—

 **AN: The events Adrien remembers from an adventure he and Ladybug had in New York can be found in the comic series "Miraculous Adventures". While it hasn't yet been discussed in the show, I'm taking it as canon. I find the implications fascinating.**


	19. Chapter 19

Despite Adrien's assurances that he felt well enough to go on patrol again that night, Marinette flatly refused. She didn't want him to rush back into battle so soon after his injury, and insisted that he should rest for at least one more day. So Adrien grumblingly stayed home and forced himself to take care of some boring but necessary obligations that had been piling up, like finishing his last few university applications, cleaning up the kitchen, and doing his laundry. He discovered, to his great irritation, that a regular run through the wash was insufficient to clean the blood out of his shirt and bed linens. So he spent the last hours before bed trying to find ways to remove the stubborn brownish red stains.

When Adrien awoke the next morning, he felt strangely adrift; for the first time in his life he didn't have anything scheduled at all. Marinette was busy helping at her parents' bakery. Nino was away doing who knows what. The birthday party for Mylène wasn't until that afternoon. So the first half of his day was completely open, no school, or Chinese lessons, or piano, or fencing, or photo shoots, or anything at all to fill his time with. It felt strangely off balance, like expecting another step at the top of a flight of stairs, or walking into a room and forgetting what you had been going to do.

Then Adrien remembered something his father had pointed out the previous day. Adrien was woefully ignorant of the contents of his trust fund. He decided that he would do well to have a better idea of what his assets were. So he called the bank and made an appointment with a financial advisor to help explain his investments to him.

He understood his father well enough to know that the man had probably planned to go over his trust with him personally. Or he might have been expecting to hire tutors to train Adrien in advanced business management and economics. But, as it was, Adrien understood just enough of what he was getting into to know that he was completely unprepared to manage it all himself. So shortly after breakfast he found himself walking, briefcase in hand, into the six story bank building with gleaming glass exterior and roof. He smiled at the many fond memories he had of scaling the mirror-like façade with Ladybug while they'd battled akumas together. The lobby was bright with sunlight streaming through the windows and furnished with very modern white and black décor. Not very comfortable or welcoming, perhaps, but it certainly felt very sophisticated, professional, and wealthy.

Adrien arranged to visit his safe deposit boxes, some of which he had never seen before, and went with a clerk to open them. The first few, as he had anticipated, contained property deeds, jewelry that had belonged to his mother, and some savings bond certificates. But the last one, to his amazement, held stacks of photographs; old pictures of his father and grandparents from long ago; pictures of his mother in soft light, caressing her belly and gazing in loving expectation at a crib; pictures of both of his parents on some far off adventure, it looked like perhaps they'd been in India. Adrien noticed that his father was beaming with genuine happiness in many of the photographs, something Adrien couldn't remember having seen for years.

The clerk cleared his throat impatiently, and Adrien hurriedly collected the stack of photographs from the box, tucked them into his briefcase, and returned to the lobby to wait to be called back for his appointment,

A short while later a different clerk escorted Adrien back to a small office with glass walls. The young woman who greeted him there reminded him a lot of Nathalie. She seemed professional and efficient. Nevertheless, she had a hard time concealing her astonishment that her client was none other than Adrien Agreste, famous male model and only son of the world-famous fashion designer, Gabriel Agreste. No less was her astonishment at the scope of assets he already possessed. They spent hours poring over everything contained in the trust. She checked the values of his stocks, bonds, and mutual funds and made some suggestions for future investments based on the level of involvement Adrien wanted to have with his finances. She explained his present responsibilities with his real estate properties and what his role was as sole shareholder of S.A.A. She advised that he contact the management office to waive his and Nino's rent, for tax purposes at least. She also mentioned that, with the income he was collecting from his rental properties, he could easily afford to buy a house in Paris if he wished.

The meeting left Adrien feeling both happy and unsettled. He was glad that he didn't have to worry about financial problems. He wouldn't be scraping by like other college students his age. He might even find ways to use his unexpected wealth to help people. But he also had a sinking feeling about all of this. His father had set this fortune aside for him; there had to be some purpose for it. It couldn't be just to help him through college. The man had obsessively been investing and reinvesting, carefully cultivating a self-perpetuating store of funds in Adrien's name, for what? And if Adrien was supposed to be going to college to prepare for a career, was that career supposed to be completely dissociated from his income? Because with his trust fund now in hand, it was clear that he would never _need_ to work a day in his life.

As he made his way back out into the warm sunlight he stretched and ran a hands through his hair. He knew that it would take a while still before he felt fully competent to manage everything. But he had taken several large steps in the right direction, at least.

"I thought you'd never be done in there! Can we get some food now?" Plagg whined from his pocket.

"Yeah, I'm hungry, too. Let's go home and eat."

"That's probably the best thing you've ever said to me."

Adrien chuckled and poked Plagg back down into his pocket.

Back at the apartment Adrien and Plagg raided the refrigerator. Plagg snagged his usual hunk of cheese. Adrien wasn't in the mood to cook anything, so he grabbed a piece of bread, some cheese, an apple, and some leftover cold chicken and called it a meal.

He then set to work writing an email to the management company in charge of his apartment buildings. He did his best to explain the situation, letting them know that he had only just inherited the trust fund and come into possession of the company in his name. It felt awkward, and a bit embarrassing. It was an effort not to come across sounding like a student asking permission to use the bathroom. " _Excuse me, sir, I just found out that I'm actually your boss. Would it be okay if I don't pay your company to live in my own building?"_ Fortunately, years of tutelage in politics, writing, and diplomacy served him well, and in the end he was satisfied that the email sounded mature and professional. Whether or not they would believe him just through an email was another matter. He would probably be asked to show up in person to prove his identity.

With the email sent, he sat back to enjoy the rest of his lunch and suddenly recalled the stack of photographs he'd found at the bank. He lifted the briefcase onto the sofa and pulled them out, smiling wistfully as he studied each and every one in careful detail. There were pictures of his mother when she was a child, his father graduating high school, himself as a baby, houses and scenery he didn't recognize, people he'd never met before.

He came across several photos tied together with string. The first was a photograph of his parents on horseback. Their mounts stood side by side on rocky ground facing the camera, while his parents leaned toward one another to kiss. It was a very strange thing to see; as far as Adrien could remember, his father hadn't ever been one for showing affection in public. The next few photos were of scenery taken along a trail. A couple candid shots of his mother riding her horse seemed to indicate that his father was the one who had taken the pictures. And then there was a photo of his mother standing alone among ancient dusty ruins on a hillside. The sky was brightest blue behind her with a spattering of white fluffy clouds. Barren yellow rocky hills shone in the distance. He studied her face, as he always did when looking at pictures of his mom, willing himself to remember her every expression, the sound of her voice, the way she used to grab him and muss his hair when she laughed.

Something strange caught his attention, though, something that looked altogether out of place on the utilitarian khaki shirt his mother was wearing. He looked closer. A sea-green brooch that looked like a Chinese fan was pinned over the pocket of her shirt. No, not a fan, he realized. It looked more like the splayed tail of a peacock. At the juncture of the feathers a blue gem shined in the sunlight, and Adrien could just barely make out the dark silhouette of the peacock's body next to it. The brooch looked familiar to him, and Adrien wondered why. He couldn't remember his mother ever wearing it.

He didn't see how it could really be important, but his mind seemed to fix on the brooch for some reason, like it was the last piece of a puzzle and he already had the other pieces if only he could remember them. The same way his mind hadn't left him alone when he'd discovered Ladybug's identity. Where had he seen that brooch before? Had it been among the valuable jewelry in his safe deposit box? No, he could remember many necklaces, rings, and earrings and none of them looked like this.

He frowned and tucked the photograph into his wallet. He couldn't put his finger on it, but somehow he knew that it was important to figure out what was so significant about that brooch. Right now, though, he had a very special birthday party to attend.

"Well, Plagg. Are you ready to party?" He grinned, anticipating the kwami's response.

"Are you kidding? I'm the original party animal." Plagg gulped a piece of cheese then did a little spin, struck a pose, and winked. "Marinette's coming, too, right?"

"Yeah. But I don't expect us to get any alone time. You and Tikki will probably have to stay hidden while we're there."

"I never said I wanted alone time with Tikki. What made you think that?"

"I never said you wanted to be alone with her either."

"What?"

"What?"

Plagg's shining green eyes shifted nervously.

"Look, Plagg. What's up with you two anyway? You're both thousands of years old and supposed to be two halves of a whole. How are you not... I don't know... married?"

"It's... complicated." Plagg shifted and rubbed the back of his neck with his paw.

Adrien just stared expectantly at him with folded arms.

"Well, we are... sort of... But when we're apart for a long time we have to get to know one another again. Couples who are separated by war or long voyages take a while to get reacquainted. And they are only apart for months or maybe years. We've been apart for centuries."

"But you are married?" Adrien was amazed.

"Our bond is different, older, stronger. You wouldn't call a violin and a bow married. Or a lock and it's key, would you?"

"But a violin isn't in love with its bow." Adrien rolled his eyes.

"Look, I'm trying to explain it, all right? We belong together. We aren't made for each other the way some humans seem to be. It's beyond that. We necessarily exist because of one another. What kind of promise could we make that wouldn't sound hollow in the face of that reality? It would be like the sun promising to shine, or water promising to be wet. So we are and we aren't married. You see?"

"So, Tikki is your other half, the way a lock belongs to its key. You love one another the way only two complementary opposites can. You've known each other since the dawn of time. And you're silly around her like a schoolboy with a crush."

"Glad to see you're keeping up," Plagg said, flatly, his eyes in narrow slits.

Adrien chuckled. "All right. I don't have to understand it, I guess. C'mon. Let's go."

Adrien hopped on his bike and rode to the Haprèle house across town. On the way, he stopped to buy a gift for Mylène. Not knowing her very well, he played it safe and got her a gift certificate to a nice café. He was pretty sure that, after Ivan proposed, she wouldn't even remember the other gifts she received.

When he arrived, he found Ivan and Nino talking outside. Ivan seemed to be refusing to go in.

"I can't do it! I... I just can't. I don't have the words." Ivan stomped back and forth moodily.

Nino tried to reason with him. "Dude, you have to! You've been planning this for months!"

"Planning to do it and actually doing it are two different things!" Ivan stormed.

"You don't even have another present for her! What's she gonna think if her boyfriend didn't get her a birthday present?" Nino exclaimed.

"I dunno. Maybe I'll just give her yours. She won't notice if _you_ forgot a present."

"No way, dude. I am not gonna help you weasel out of this!"

Adrien was thinking hard. What would motivate him if he were in Ivan's very large shoes? Perhaps something that would frighten him a whole lot more than proposing in front of a crowd? Perhaps remembering how very much he loved and wanted to marry his girl? Maybe a little of both?

"Hey, Ivan, you think Mylène is pretty, right?" Adrien asked casually.

"Wha—? Yeah, of course I do! Anyone can see that."

"She's sweet, too, isn't she? And gentle? And thoughtful?"

"Yeah, what are you getting at?" His fists had clenched defiantly.

"Well, if you want to marry her, you've got to find the courage to ask. Because if you don't, someday someone else will notice all these things about her, too. And they won't be afraid to ask her."

Ivan's face grew pale.

"She won't wait forever, Ivan" Adrien continued. "If you won't ask her to marry you she'll start to think you don't want her to. She'll move on, out of your reach, and someone else will see in her everything you do now, and he'll do something about it. But right now she's in there. She's waiting for you. And you still have a chance."

Ivan stared fixedly at the door, pale as a ghost, mouth agape.

Adrien turned to smile victoriously at Nino, but found that his friend also looked a bit horrified. "What? I'm just trying to convince him to go through with it," he muttered.

"Yeah...You did a pretty good job."

"I'm going to do it," Ivan said. "I have to. But... I still don't know what to say."

"Why not write her a song and read out the lyrics?" Marinette's voice came from behind them, and all three boys turned to see Marinette and Alya walking toward them.

Adrien's heart seemed to flip in his chest when he saw Marinette. She had her hair done up, not in the intricate braids from the graduation party, but in an elegantly messy bun. She wore a pale blue sundress that brought out the color in her eyes and swayed around her frame gracefully as she walked. Mottled beams of sunlight, shining through the branches of the trees overhead, danced over her skin and the fabric of her dress, adding an almost magical quality to her approach. A chorus of angelic music would not have been out of place accompanying her.

"Um, wow. Hi, Marinette. You look really nice." He was amazed that he'd managed to speak coherently. He was sure he'd short circuited his brain.

She smiled and blushed. "You do, too. But of course you look amazing no matter what you wear." She blushed deeper and covered her mouth in surprise, as though embarrassed by what she'd said.

Adrien wondered if she was thinking about graduation night and the morning after, when he'd basically strutted around his apartment shirtless for her benefit. He smiled. He didn't regret that decision at all.

"Yeah, yeah. Adrien is a total hottie." Alya rolled her eyes impatiently. "Glad we got that cleared up, finally. Now, Ivan, what do you think of writing out song lyrics and reading them out?"

"I...I dunno." He blinked, seeming a bit confused. "Last time I did that it didn't work so well."

"That was because you were screa...ah uh, singing them last time and frightened her," Marinette told him. "If you just read the words, like poetry, I think it would go really well."

"You really think so?"

"Definitely!" Adrien said.

"Totally!" Nino said.

"Trust us!" Alya said.

"Go for it!" Marinette said.

Ivan stayed outside to write out his proposal while the rest of them went in to the party. Mylène, her father, and several other of her friends were already in the festively decorated house. Mylène looked up hopefully when they entered, but seemed a bit disappointed when she recognized them.

"Happy birthday!" They all greeted her.

"Hi guys! Have any of you seen Ivan?" She asked.

"Yeah, he's right outside-OUCH!" Nino jumped when Alya stamped hard on his foot.

"He's putting some finishing touches on his gift for you," Marinette added, putting a hand out to stop Mylène from going out to find him, "and doesn't want to spoil the surprise."

"Oh...Okay," Mylène said, looking uncertain. "Well, make yourselves at home. There's punch and snacks in the kitchen. And my dad says he'll do a mime act for everyone later."

"Really, that's totally awesome!" Nino exclaimed, and the rest of them smiled and murmured in agreement.

The friends mingled with the crowd for a while. And it soon became apparent to Adrien that the only topic of conversation that anyone seemed interested in was the fate of Chat Noir after the museum incident. Everyone had seen the surveillance videos on the news. Everyone had an opinion on the matter. And there seemed to be a huge debate over whether Chat had died or not.

"I don't know, though," Kim, a burly athletic boy, was saying. "I've seen some of the other stuff Chat Noir can do. I think he might be able to survive being shot in the head."

"I'm with you," Alya agreed. "He's got to be a lot tougher than us. It looked like it hurt, for sure, but I wouldn't count him out just yet."

"But he was shot! In the head!" Max exclaimed, pointing at his own head for emphasis. "Do you have any idea how strong a material has to be in order to be bulletproof?"

"Uh, no?" Alya admitted. "But we're talking about a superhero. He's got superhuman resilience."

"It looked like he went down pretty hard, for a superhero," Juleka, another friend of Mylène's, noted.

"Right," Max, agreed. "And if we take into account the fact that he was shot right in the pterion region, the weakest place in the skull, even with phenomenal superhuman abilities, it is entirely possible that he suffered an epidural haematoma, or perhaps bled to death. The middle meningeal artery runs right along that area."

"Ew, Max! Since when are you a brain surgeon?" Kim asked.

Max pushed his glasses up his nose. "I like to familiarize myself with all areas of study."

Adrien noticed how quiet Marinette had gone. She was biting her lip and scowling at the floor as though it had personally insulted her. He wrapped his arm around her shoulders and smiled when she looked up at him, drawing out a small smile in return.

"Once Chat Noir makes another appearance, proving to everyone that he's okay, the big news isn't going to be him getting shot," Alya announced. "It's going to be Ladybug's reaction." She raised her eyebrows significantly.

"Oh, come on!" Kim rolled his eyes. "He's her partner. Of course she was worried for him. That doesn't mean they're having hot sweaty sex together after beating the bad guys."

Juleka giggled behind her hand.

Adrien could almost feel the shocked embarrassment radiating from Marinette under his arm. He couldn't suppress his grin. This conversation had just gotten really interesting.

"She loves him!" Alya insisted. "Just because you and every other guy in Paris is hot for her..."

"Have we ever seen them kiss?" Kim demanded.

"No, but that's because they're professionals. Who wants to start snogging in front of cameras?"

"I wouldn't mind kissing Ladybug in front of a camera." Kim grinned and looked to Nino and Adrien. "Back me up, guys. Am I right?"

Alya glared at Nino, daring him to say it.

"I, um, well... the thing is...you see..." Nino stammered.

"If I was Chat Noir and in love with Ladybug, I wouldn't have a problem kissing her whenever I got the chance," Adrien confessed. "But I'm with Alya on this one. Ladybug and Chat Noir have always been my OTP. And just because we haven't seen them kissing doesn't mean they don't."

"Thank you, Adrien." Alya said. "And you agree, too, don't you, Marinette?"

Marinette furrowed her brow in thought. "It's hard to say just from the video. I think she obviously cares about him a lot. If you want to know whether she's in love with him, maybe ask her the next time she gives you an interview."

"Ugh!" Alya groaned. "She never gives me a straight answer when I ask that question!"

"Wait, you've asked her if she loves Chat Noir?" Adrien asked.

"Of course I have. And all she ever says is drivel like, 'Chat Noir and I are very close. We are an unstoppable team. I would trust him with my life. And of course we care about one another.' As though that is a satisfactory answer! How can I put that on my blog?"

"Well, maybe things changed?" Marinette offered.

"Yeah," Max noted. "Getting shot in the head really can change things."

"Max!" Kim and Alya groaned.

"Hey everyone!" Mylène's father, announced from the kitchen. "We're going to bring out the cake now. Gather round!"

Everyone filed into the kitchen while Mr. Haprèle brought forth a large pink frosted cake with sugar flowers lined along the edges. He lit the candles and they all sang a chorus of "Happy Birthday" to Mylène. Ivan hurriedly shuffled into the kitchen while she closed her eyes, made a wish, then blew out the candles.

Mylène was turning to get the plates when Mr. Haprèle sidled up to Ivan, clapped him on the back and winked.

Ivan spoke up. "Um, Mylène?"

"Yes, Ivan?"

"Er... Um, there's something I want to say while we're all here. Actually, I wrote it down." He fumbled with the paper in his hands.

Mylène beamed. "Oh, Ivan! Did you write me another song?"

"Yeah, sort of. More of a poem, really. Okay, here it goes." He cleared his throat and began to read.

 _Because of you I have grown stronger._

 _Because of you I am made whole._

 _You filled my eyes with tears of laughter._

 _You taught the light to shine in my soul._

 _Being with you feels natural_

 _Mylène, my love, my darling one_

 _You and I are meant to be_

 _Like the shining stars or the rising sun_

 _If you feel the same as I_

 _Then set the song in my heart free._

 _I am now and always will be yours_

 _My love, will you marry me?_

There was a beat of silence while everyone waited with bated breath to hear what Mylène would say.

"Oh, I almost forgot!" Ivan said. He fumbled in his pocket and brought out a simple yellow gold diamond ring, got down on one knee, and offered it to her.

Mylène looked back and forth between Ivan and the ring he was offering her for a moment. Then she smiled and threw her arms around his neck and kissed him. "Of course I will, Ivan! Of course I will!"

Everyone cheered. Ivan grinned sheepishly and blushed bright red.


	20. Chapter 20

"Dude, I need your help!"

"Nino, you've got this! I would only be in the way."

"No you wouldn't! You've got better taste than me. I'll probably pick the wrong one, or forget what size to get. You know how stupid I get when I'm nervous."

"What's there to be nervous about? You'll be at a jewelry store, not an inquisition."

"But what if I pick one she hates? What if the salesdude starts asking all kinds of personal questions? What if Alya shows up while I'm there? What if I keep chickening out and never ask her? What if she dumps me? Or what if she doesn't want me to propose at all? What if she says no?"

Adrien couldn't help laughing a little at his friend. How could he have guessed that the little speech he'd made to Ivan the previous day, encouraging him to find the nerve to ask Mylène to marry him, would end up having a similar effect on Nino. Now his best friend was suddenly desperate to ask Alya to be his wife. "Relax, Nino! This is Alya we're talking about. You two have been together for years! She wouldn't play with your feelings like that."

"Just... just come to the jewelry store with me, okay? Just so I'm not there by myself."

"You're not going to ask me to choose a ring for you?" Adrien asked, pointing his finger at Nino warningly.

"No, I'll pick the ring. Just come for moral support. Please?"

"Okay, fine."

"I knew I could count on you, bro!" Nino jumped up. "C'mon! Let's go now!"

"What? I can't go with you right _now_."

"Why not?"

"I'm supposed to be having brunch with Marinette and her parents soon. Then I have that meditation session I told you about. And this evening I have to go to a planning meeting with the board of directors of S.A.A. Then, unless you plan to do some shopping, I need to re-stock our refrigerator so we don't starve to death. I'm pretty much booked up all day today. Maybe we can go tomorrow?"

Nino sighed dramatically. "Fine, I'll buy some groceries. You know, for a dude who isn't in school and doesn't have a job, you're way too busy."

"Yeah, I know." Adrien checked the time on his phone. "Well, I gotta go. Don't forget to buy some Camembert."

"Yeah, yeah. No worries."

Adrien hopped down the stairs and around the corner of the apartment building to fetch his bicycle. As he started pedaling up the road, he felt a small knot of anxiety forming in his gut. The last time Adrien had visited with Marinette's parents at their house he had come unexpectedly for lunch as a friend from school and their daughter's long time crush. This time he had been invited over as her boyfriend, and was a little nervous. Mr. Dupain seemed to like him well enough. But Sabine, Marinette's mother, had seemed concerned about the wisdom of his decision to move out on his own. And Adrien also worried that they might have deduced that Marinette had not, in fact, been sleeping over with Alya the night of graduation. Did they suspect the truth, that she had been with Adrien that night? He wanted Marinette's parents to trust him. He liked them very much and wanted to make a good impression.

Moved by a sudden urge to show some chivalry, and maybe also by the desire to delay a little bit, Adrien stopped at a flower cart and purchased a single red rose for Marinette. It seemed sentimental and a little silly, but so was he. He tucked the stem of the rose through the loop of a tag inside his jacket and rode up to the bakery. He checked his phone to make sure he was on time, but not too early, then parked his bicycle and walked in.

"Oh, hello Adrien!" Sabine greeted him from behind the counter. "I was just about to close up for lunch. Marinette should be down soon."

A mixture of thumping and stomping sounds suddenly erupted from the ceiling above, like someone was running across the floor of the upstairs room.

"Yep, there she is!" Sabine laughed.

Marinette ran down the stairs, jumped down the last few steps, and skipped into the sales floor of the bakery. "Adrien! You're here!" She beamed and Adrien grinned back at her. He wondered if he would ever get used to the way she looked at him, like his very existence was some sort of miracle. He hoped not.

She was wearing her hair up again, exposing the smooth curve of her throat. He felt a sudden urge to bury is face in the nape of her neck. He had to remind himself that her mother was standing right next to them.

"Yeah, here I'm... I mean... here l, um... brought this for you." He pulled the rose out from his jacket and held it out for her.

"Oh, that's sweet! Thank you!" She took the rose and sniffed it appreciatively.

"You're quite the gentleman, aren't you, Adrien?" Sabine smiled. "Why don't you two head on back. Tom's finishing up in the kitchen. I'll be right there."

"Okay, Mom!" Marinette grabbed Adrien's hand and led him back to the kitchen.

"Is that my darling fairy and her sweet tesoro?" A familiar female voice called as they rounded the corner.

"Grandma!" Marinette groaned.

Adrien chuckled.

"It is!" Gina Dupain cooed. "Come on over here, Adrien. Let us sit and talk together. Marinetta has told me that she had a lovely time at the party. But I want to hear it from you, too." She grabbed their free hands and pulled them to the table. "So, tell me all about it! Was my Marinetta the loveliest creature in the room?"

"Well, I certainly thought so," Adrien said. "I didn't really look at anyone else, though. She was breathtaking in that dress!" He shook his head and smiled.

"I knew you would appreciate it." Gina nodded and grinned at him in understanding, then turned to Marinette. "The red color sets off your lovely skin so nicely, my fairy. Didn't I say it would?"

"Yes, grandma." Marinette smiled tolerantly.

"So, Adrien," Gina leaned against the table and stirred her tea. "What are your plans since graduation? Which university are you planning to attend? Or do you have something else in mind?"

"Well, I had been planning to get a degree in literature, since that's my strongest subject. But I've been accepted to a lot of different schools, and recent developments have led me to rethink that decision. So I might switch to business management, or maybe foreign relations."

"That's very interesting," Mr. Dupain said, joining them at the table. "What draws you to business management and foreign relations?"

"Well, when I came of age, I inherited my trust fund. I thought it would just be enough to finance my higher education, but I recently found out that it included a lot more than I expected."

Marinette was looking at him curiously.

"You don't know half of it yet," he told her. "In fact, I'm expected at a board meeting this evening." He shrugged. "I feel out of my depth. So I think working toward a degree in business management would be a good step to take."

"A board meeting?" Mr. Dupain asked, confused.

"Adrien owns a company that owns a lot of rental properties in the city, dad." Marinette explained.

Mr. Dupain's eyes widened in shock. "And...and what about foreign relations?"

"Well, I'm fluent in Mandarin Chinese," Adrien explained. "And it took many years of hard work to become so. I wouldn't want to waste the skill. And I've been told I have a natural gift for diplomacy. So it might be a good fit."

"That's right," Sabine said, entering the kitchen. "You helped translate for my uncle when he came for a visit once, didn't you?"

"Yeah, that was a lot of fun! It was a real pleasure to translate for Cheng Shifu."

The conversation drifted back and forth, like a leaf fluttering on the wind, sometimes touching on Adrien's plans for the future, sometimes settling on Gina's adventures in China. The rest of the brunch passed just as pleasantly as their meal had at the Indian restaurant a couple of days earlier. Marinette's parents were just as warm and welcoming as they had ever been, or perhaps even more so. The news that Adrien already possessed extensive property and financial assets seemed to have impressed her father, but did not change how they behaved toward him in the slightest. With perhaps the exception that Sabine seemed concerned about his financial responsibilities in a different way than she had been before. She was no longer worried that he was being irresponsible with his money by renting in the city, she was now slightly worried that he would need to learn a great deal very quickly in order to manage what he owned. Adrien couldn't hold it against her, though, since he shared her concern.

When everyone had finished his or her tea and pushed his or her chair back from the table with a contented sigh, Gina pulled out a pocket watch— _I didn't know anyone carried those anymore,_ Adrien thought—and checked it. "Well, it's about time I head to the airport, now. I've had a lovely visit, darlings. One of these days I'm going to convince you all to come visit me in Florence."

"I'll come see you off at the airport, Mom," Mr. Dupain offered.

"Oh, that's not necessary," Gina waved him off. "I've been through this airport a hundred times." She stood, grabbed Marinette in a goodbye hug, kissed her cheeks, and surprised Adrien by doing the same to him.

"At least let me give you a ride," Mr. Dupain pressed.

"I'll do just fine with the shuttle, dear," she answered coolly.

"Tom, you know how independent your mom is," Sabine said.

"I'm not trying to take care... Mom, I know you can take care of yourself, I just want to say goodbye, that's all."

"You can say goodbye much easier right here. You don't need to escort me to the airport. That's too much trouble for you. And I can manage it easily in my own."

"I know you can manage it on your own, mom. And it's no trouble for me. I just want to go with you, that's all. Why do you always—"

"Mom, Dad, we're going to be upstairs," Marinette announced loudly, pulling on Adrien's hand and drawing him away from what looked like a first rate family quarrel in the making.

"Your grandma is really something," Adrien said with a grin, as they climbed the ladder up to Marinette's room.

"Yeah, I know," Marinette snickered. "Sorry you had to see that. They argue like that a lot. My dad worries about her. She isn't as young as she used to be, and he's starting to get worried that she'll end up hurt or in trouble, with all the traveling she likes to do. But she won't let him do anything if she thinks he's trying to take care of her somehow."

They climbed up through the trapdoor into Marinette's room. As soon as the door shut below them, Tikki flew out of Marinette's purse and settled herself on the desk by the computer with an air of well-practiced ritual. "Come on out, Plagg!" she called.

Plagg poked his head out of Adrien's pocket, looked around, then flitted over to Tikki's side. "It's very pink in here," he noticed, looking around at the walls, bedding, area rug, and cushions.

"The color is actually called orchid pink," Marinette said, in a businesslike manner. "Much less invasive than flat pink, in my opinion. More sophisticated."

"Where did all my posters go?" Adrien asked with a small frown, noticing how bare the walls had become since his last visit. "Don't tell me you've gotten over your crush already?"

Marinette tried to scowl at his teasing, but her smile ruined the effect. "I don't need them anymore. Also, if I'm going to put up pictures of you, I'd much rather be in them myself, too."

"We'll have to make that happen, then!" Adrien grinned mischievously. "Come here." He pulled her into his side and whipped out his phone. "Say cheese!"

"No, I'm not ready!" Marinette protested while he snapped a selfie of them together.

"You had your hands in the way. Let's try again." He snapped another one while she buried her face in his shoulder, complaining and giggling at the same time.

"You have to look up!" He laughed, taking a series of pictures while she tried to push his hand away.

"Just give me a second to get ready!" Marinette demanded, swatting him away.

"Okay, okay. What do you need to get ready? I don't understand."

She took a breath, sat down on her chaise lounge, smoothed her hair and shirt, and applied some lip gloss. "Okay. But hold the phone up high, I don't want to look like I have a double chin."

"A double chin? Are you insane? You've got to be kidding." Adrien rolled his eyes, sitting next to her.

"Just humor me, okay? You always look so perfect in photos."

Adrien rolled his eyes again and obligingly lifted his phone a little higher than before and snapped a nice photo of them together. "One more?" He asked.

"Okay," Marinette agreed and shifted a little closer to him.

He held out the phone again. This time, right before he took the picture, he turned his head and planted a kiss on Marinette's cheek. The look of surprise on her face was priceless.

"That's definitely my favorite one," he grinned, looking at the picture on his screen.

"Okay, I admit that one is pretty funny, but I am a little disappointed."

"Disappointed how?"

"If you're going to kiss me," she gazed at him in mock reproach. "I would much rather it be like this." She snaked her arms around his neck and kissed him firmly on the mouth.

"Oh, yes. Definitely." Adrien murmured against her lips, wrapping his arms around her waist. "I very much agree with you on this."

Whatever Marinette had intended the kiss to be, it slowly grew into something more. Neither of them seemed to want to stop. The playful mood that had sparked it melted into something more serious and sensual.

Adrien slid his hands slowly down her ribs, over her hips. He moved his right hand down her leg hooked his fingers behind her knee and pulled her into his lap.

Marinette gasped in surprise, but tightened her arms around him while Adrien traced his lips along her jaw, moving slowly but determinedly to the smooth tempting warmth of her neck.

"I'm starting to think that you've been putting your hair up just for me," he whispered, lips brushing the exposed skin right below her ear.

"Oh...ah...huh?" She breathed.

"It drives me crazy, and I don't even know why," he murmured, planting gentle kisses in a trail along her neck down to her collarbone. She tilted her head back, and his lips moved to the hollow at the base of her throat.

"I... uh...sort of thought... you liked it better... up," she gasped.

Adrien hummed his agreement, moving up the other side of her neck, completing the circuit back at her mouth. He traced his tongue lightly along the smooth perfection of her lips, noticing again the subtly sweet flavor.

"I'm never letting it down again," she whispered.

Adrien chuckled softly, reached up, and pulled the elastic band out of the bun at the crown of her head, releasing a dark cascade of hair which framed her flushed rosy cheeks and creamy white shoulders. "You are always so beautiful."

She smiled and pulled her hair to the side, out of the way.

Adrien groaned and buried his face in the nape of her neck again.

Marinette laughed,

"I can't help it!" He whined against her skin. "Your neck is just so tempting!"

Marinette pushed his face up so that she could kiss him on the mouth again.

"Mmmm... I think I like this just as much," he mumbled around her lips."

"It's about even for me, too," she agreed.

"Good to know."

"I guess you two don't mind giving public displays of affection," Plagg called from his seat on the desk. "You could have at least provided some popcorn."

"Plagg!" Adrien growled, resisting the urge to throw a pillow at his kwami. "Nobody said you had to watch. And I know you don't like popcorn."

"Tikki does, though." Plagg pointed up to the computer monitor where Tikki was sitting and watching them with wide shining eyes and an adoring smile. It was an expression you might expect a child to have when presented with a basketful of fluffy puppies.

"Okay," Marinette said, sliding off Adrien's lap. "We're going to have to go over some ground rules, here."

"Oh, come on, Marinette! It was sweet!" Tikki pleaded. "We would have gone away if you started to—"

"Wait, stop right there," Marinette held up her hand. "Listen, normally people look for privacy before... doing stuff like this. But since we can't expect to have privacy from you two, it would be nice if you could, you know, make yourselves scarce in similar situations in the future, okay?"

"Oh, all right. If you insist," Tikki grumbled something that sounded kind of like, "I watched you make out with his posters enough." But Adrien wasn't sure if he heard it right.

"Hey, all that picture taking reminded me..." Adrien dug in his pocket and pulled out his wallet. "I found some old pictures of my parents the other day. And there's this picture of my mom wearing something that looks really familiar, but I can't remember where I've seen it before." He pulled out the photograph and showed it to Marinette. "Somehow it seems like it's really important, if only I could remember. Does that peacock brooch look familiar to you at all?"

"WHAT?!" Tikki practically shrieked. She zipped over to them and stared intently at the photograph in Adrien's hand. "Duusu!"

"Huh?" Plagg flew over, too, and scrutinized the photo. "That's Duusu's miraculous?"

"Are you telling me you don't remember what the peacock miraculous looks like?" Tikki demanded.

"Well, it's been a long time since we've seen it. And I don't know if I've ever even seen it in this form before!" Plagg countered, defensively. "Isn't it usually a lot more blue?"

"Wait. Just... quiet!" Adrien shouted. He stood and paced to the wall, breathing heavily. He ran his hand through his hair, wincing when he accidentally grazed the wound on the side of his head. He squeezed his eyes shut and breathed deeply for a moment, then turned and faced Marinette and the two shocked kwamis. "Are you telling me that my _mom_... had a miraculous?"

Tikki and Plagg looked at one another then back at Adrien.

"If That brooch is what it looks like..." Plagg began.

"It is," Tikki added.

"Then... your mom was Le Paon, and the last known wielder of the peacock miraculous."

"B-but how could she... how could I not know? I mean... there's got to be some mistake. If... if she had a miraculous, then where is it now?"

"We don't know," Tikki said, sadly. "Le Paon and Duusu, the peacock kwami... just disappeared."


	21. Chapter 21

The news about Adrien's mother being a miraculous wielder had stunned him. He almost couldn't believe it. He'd never heard of the super heroine called Le Paon before. His mother had never hinted that she'd been guarding any big secrets. Then again, Adrien had lived with his father for three years without being discovered as Chat Noir. And Marinette's parents seemed equally as clueless that their daughter was secretly saving the world in a spotted red and black costume.

When Adrien arrived at Master Fu's massage parlor, distracted and anxious, the Master was busy working with a customer. The old man announced through the door that he would be with him shortly, just as though Adrien were any ordinary visitor, and Adrien sat on a chair in the lobby resting his head in his hands while he waited.

Plagg peeked out of his pocket and looked up at him worriedly. "Are you okay?" He asked.

"I don't know, Plagg," Adrien answered, quietly. "I don't know what it all means. I never got a straight answer from my father about what happened to mom, you know. And this seems like another piece to add to the puzzle. But this piece looks like it belongs to another puzzle altogether. Instead of helping me make sense of it all, it's just making things more confusing."

In a rare display of affection, Plagg rested on Adrien's arm and patted him with his tiny paw. "It sounds like you were already trying to piece it together, and thought you had an idea of what happened."

"Well, yeah. She and my father were away on vacation. Something happened that delayed them. And then father came home alone and said she was gone, that something had happened to her. I thought mom must have gotten sick or... or had a horrible accident or something."

Plagg looked up at him. "Sometimes the wrong picture needs to be destroyed for the right picture to appear."

Adrien glanced at Plagg, surprised. "Listen to you, all wise all of a sudden."

"I'm as old as the universe, of course I'm wise... when I want to be." His ears twitched and he bolted back into Adrien's pocket just as the door to the parlor opened.

A young man wearing a dirt-smeared baseball jersey emerged, grimacing and rotating his shoulder. "I think it feels even worse now," he grumbled under his breath.

"You'll thank me in the morning," Master Fu answered, cheerfully. And then he nodded to Adrien. "I'm ready for you now. Come on back."

Adrien followed him into the parlor. Master fu took a moment to clean off the massage table. "Have you been practicing your meditation?" he asked.

"Yes, sir. It's a challenge sometimes. But I've been able to calm myself sometimes when I get upset."

"Good, good. Today we'll work on—"

"Excuse me, sir, but there is something I need to talk to you about. Something I think is very important."

"Oh?"

Adrien pulled out the picture of his mother and handed it to Master Fu. "This is my mother. Tikki and Plagg say that she's wearing the peacock miraculous."

Master Fu gazed at the picture in silence for a long time.

Wayzz, the turtle kwami, floated sleepily from the gramophone on the other side of the room and landed on the old man's shoulder. "Master?" the green kwami asked, looking at the picture.

Master Fu looked up at Adrien with an expression of great sorrow. "It's true. Your mother had the peacock miraculous."

"Did you know?"

"Yes, I knew." He sighed. "Of course I knew. I gave it to her, just as I gave you the ring of the black cat, and Ladybug her earrings."

"Do you...know what happened to her?" Adrien asked. He was far too desperate for answers to be angry with Master Fu for having kept this information from him.

"No, I'm afraid I don't. I know only the official story. But I have my guesses."

"What official story? I haven't heard anything about an official story."

"It is almost certainly a complete fabrication."

"I want to know!"

Master Fu nodded sadly and shuffled over to a cabinet. He opened a drawer and pulled out a file folder which contained a stack of newspaper clippings. He thumbed through the clippings until he found the one he was looking for and handed it to Adrien.

Two things stood out to Adrien immediately. First, the story included a picture of his mother with a couple of other people he didn't recognize. Second, the newspaper was written in Chinese.

He hastened to read the article, in such a hurry that he didn't even understand what the words said the first time through. He slowed down and tried again, making sure he properly translated each and every character printed on the page. The article stated that a group of foreigners had been visiting some remote ancient temples in Myanmar. But sadly several of them had gotten sick with influenza which rapidly progressed to pneumonia. And by the time they could get medical help, several of their group had passed away.

"Pneumonia?" He finally asked.

"Like I said, it is almost certainly untrue."

"What do you think happened then?"

"I have only guesses. And vague ones at that. Your mother was a powerful super-heroine. But she was not tied down to a single city as you and Ladybug are. She traveled from city to city, from country to country, seeking out dark energy and purifying it in secret, as was her power."

"Just like Ladybug?"

"Not as powerful as Ladybug. Your partner's ability to purify evil is merely a footnote to her true powers of good luck and creation. Le Paon's miraculous power was to absorb evil and transform it into beauty."

"Could she have purified akumas?"

Master Fu nodded. "In a way, yes. She could not have restored them to their original state, or repaired any damage. But she could have captured the akumas and turned them into beautiful and harmless things."

"So, you think she came across an enemy that was too much for her?"

"I know she did. She came to me and told me as much."

Adrien said nothing, he just waited for more.

"One day, about four years ago, your mother found me in my home in Beijing. Duusu had finally confided in her about me because your mother was in trouble. She said she'd discovered a great evil, and she needed help. She couldn't defeat it alone."

Master Fu furrowed his brow and began stacking the newspaper clippings neatly into the folder again.

"What happened?" Adrien finally asked.

"I... gave her the butterfly miraculous. I impressed upon her that it was supremely important that she choose someone trustworthy to borrow it. This person must not discover her true identity, and must return the miraculous after their enemy was defeated. But..." He sighed heavily and didn't continue.

Wayzz looked up at Adrien from Master Fu's shoulder and spoke for him. "We never saw her again."

"Your mother disappeared," Master Fu continued, sadly. "Whether she died or not, I have no idea. But after a few weeks your father moved back here to be with you and I followed. I felt sorry for the both of you, and guilty as well. And with Le Paon gone, I knew the time would soon come when another hero would be needed. And I hoped that you would be up to the task, being, as you are, much like your mother."

Adrien felt a knot of rage growing in his chest. It swelled and began to fill him, pushing against his ribs and lungs so that it felt difficult to breathe. "Hawkmoth has the butterfly miraculous." He growled.

"Yes, he does."

"So... Hawkmoth is the person my mother chose to be her partner!"

"That is not certain," the Master said. "It could have been anyone, perhaps one of the other people in her travel group who vanished. Hawkmoth might have found the miraculous somewhere at a later time."

"That doesn't seem very likely," Adrien scowled. "What? He just happened to come across the miraculous? And just happened to turn evil, too? I think my mom made a mistake and chose someone who betrayed her. He turned on her! I bet he wanted to steal her miraculous, just like he wants mine and Ladybug's. It makes perfect sense!"

"Adrien, it is best if we don't jump to conclusions. You are only upsetting yourself. Come, take deep breaths like I taught you."

Adrien didn't want to calm down. It felt good to rage against Hawkmoth, to be able to vent all his grief and frustration at an enemy he had already come to hate. But he remembered what was at stake if he lost his temper. So he sat cross legged on the floor, closed his eyes, and breathed deeply. He thought of the golden sunset behind the Eiffel Tower, the windows of the buildings below glittering like diamonds, the Seine glowing like a river of melted gold. In a few moments he was... not exactly calm, but much less enraged than he had been.

"Good, very good, Adrien. You have made progress, I see. Now, please remember we must work with what we have. Do not jump to conclusions. Maybe Hawkmoth was the partner your mother chose, and maybe not. Maybe he betrayed her, and maybe not. But try to think, has it ever been a good idea to believe the worst in someone without proof? Has any good ever come from jumping to rash conclusions? Above all, you must keep a level head, no matter how good it feels to give in to anger."

"Yes sir. I'll try."

They spent another half hour going over techniques and strategies for calming oneself in stressful situations. Master Fu explained ways to quickly stifle sorrow and anger when Adrien might not immediately have the opportunity to stop and meditate. He didn't provoke Adrien this time as he had their previous lesson, explaining that Adrien had enough stress to deal with already.

When his lesson was over, Adrien went home to get ready for his business meeting. He changed his clothes, grabbed his briefcase and laptop, and rode his bicycle to the old brick office building where the meeting with the board and advisors of S.A.A. was scheduled.

Far from dismissing him as incompetent as he had expected, his team of advisors were all very eager to teach Adrien about the business they had been running in his name for the past fifteen years. S.A.A. purchased and refurbished buildings, turning them into rental properties for businesses, tourists, and even locals. Adrien learned about their insurance packages, licenses, the balance sheet, and the budget for future projects. His team told him about the different contractors they used and plans for additions to several of their properties. A few of them offered to take on administrative roles for however long he needed them to. Not for free, of course, but they were up front about the raise in pay they would expect.

Four hours later the meeting finally ended. Adrien made sure to get the contact information for everyone who had come. A young female accountant made a point of giving him her personal phone number, stressing that he could call her if he ever needed anything at all. But he was used to gently rebuffing affection from random girls.

"You're back late," Nino observed. "Hungry? I ordered a pizza."

"Yeah, thanks." Adrien walked wearily into the apartment, grabbed a slice from the box on the counter and started munching on it. "Did you go shopping?" He asked around a mouthful of pizza.

"Yep. We're fully loaded. I even remembered to get your stinky cheese."

"Good." Adrien opened the refrigerator and grabbed a chunk of Camembert.

"So, tomorrow...?" Nino began.

It took Adrien a second to remember. "Oh, yeah, tomorrow! You name the place and time and I'll be there."

"Lune Bleue, first thing in the morning." Nino said resolutely, like he was naming the time and place for a strategic war attack.

Adrien bumped fists with his friend and yawned. "Tomorrow morning. It's on. But I'm exhausted now. I'm going to hit the sack before I pass out. See you in the morning."

"Okay. See ya." Nino looked kind of nervous, but Adrien knew his friend well enough to know that if he needed comfort, he'd ask for it.

In his room, Plagg scarfed his chunk of cheese while Adrien stripped off his suit jacket and changed into his comfortable jeans. He leaned against the sliding glass door and stared out past his balcony onto the narrow street illuminated by the orange lamps.

"You really think you're ready to go back out there?" Plagg asked, noticing the longing in Adrien's eyes.

For answer, Adrien slid open the door to his balcony and smiled crookedly. "Plagg, claws out!"

It had only been a couple of days since Chat had leapt over the rooftops of Paris, but so much had happened since then that it felt like an eternity. The power of the black cat miraculous coursed through his body, completely erasing his fatigue. His shining green eyes picked up traces of light that would be invisible to normal humans. He silently vaulted and leapt and flipped, nearly invisible against the velvet black sky. Once in a while he would land a little roughly, jarring his head and feeling a throb of pain, but that was easy to ignore.

He knew that they didn't have a meeting planned for tonight. But, somehow, his heart told him she would be there waiting for him anyway. After everything that happened that day, she would surely be just as eager to see him again as he was to see her.

As he drew near to the Musée d'Orsay, his first thought was that he must have been mistaken. Ladybug wasn't waiting at their usual spot against the wall on the western side of the building. The main entrance directly below was still in a terrible state, a gaping hole blocked off by portable barriers and police tape. Then he noticed a small spot of red moving on the eastern side of the building. He raced across the peak of the roof to join her.

Ladybug noticed him and turned to watch his approach, smiling softly and shaking her head.

Chat launched himself up to the raised rooftop, performed a quadruple flip with a twist, and landed in a crouch with his staff in hand, ignoring the dull throb of pain in his head.

Ladybug folded her arms while attempting to frown at him reproachfully, but not quite succeeding.

Chat stood, twirled his staff and clipped it into his belt with a flourish. "Good evening, M'lady. Lovely night for a patrol, don't you think?"

"Fancy meeting you here, Chat. Are you sure you're feeling okay? I thought you might need more time to lick your wounds before prowling the night again."

"I'm feeling _paw_ some! It'll take more than that minor _cat_ astrophe to keep me down."

Ladybug raised her eyebrow skeptically.

"What? I might not be a hundred percent, but I can handle light duty."

"That's debatable..." She looked at him harder, like she was trying to see through his mask.

"Something the matter?" Chat asked.

"I'm just used to thinking of you as two separate people." She shrugged. "It's kind of weird knowing who you are."

"Maybe I should act more Chat-like all the time, to help you get used to the idea." He teased.

"That won't be necessary. I don't think I could handle all the puns." Ladybug laughed. "So how was the rest of your day? Did your meditation session go well?"

"Ah." Chat grimaced. "There's so much to say about that, we could be talking all night. My mom really did have a miraculous, though, and Master Fu knew all about it."

"Really? And he never said anything?!" Ladybug's outraged incredulity was strangely cathartic to Chat. Seeing her angry somehow made his own anger easier to bear.

"Yeah, and there's more," he said. He went on to fill her in on everything he'd learned that day from Master Fu, leaving nothing out. He told her what the newspaper clipping had said, and how it was probably a cover up for something else. He told her about his suspicion that Hawkmoth was the man his mother had chosen to be her partner, and how he believed that Hawkmoth must have betrayed her in order to steal her miraculous.

"That does make sense," she admitted. "But I also agree with Master Fu that we should learn more and find out the truth. We shouldn't jump to conclusions."

"I kind of thought you would take that view," Chat said, wryly.

"I've had my fair share of assuming things and having to deal with the consequences. Or don't you remember 'Santa Claws'?"

Chat chuckled at the memory. One fateful Christmas eve, Ladybug had mistaken an innocent citizen dressed as Santa for an akumatized victim. She'd ended up upsetting the poor man enough that he really had fallen prey to an akuma and had flown around Paris giving horrible jinxed gifts to people. He and Ladybug did manage to save him and everything had turned out all right in the end. But Ladybug had been horribly embarrassed by her mistake.

Somewhere deep inside himself he knew that she was right; assuming the worst about someone, even a villain, without compelling evidence was not a good idea. But he still firmly believed that Hawkmoth must have betrayed his mother and, if he hadn't killed her, he'd certainly caused her death by his betrayal. He didn't want to argue about it, though, especially not with Ladybug. So he decided to change the subject.

"Yeah, I remember. Point taken. So, shall we start our patrol?"

She looked at him worriedly for a moment, then answered. "Sure, but you take it easy tonight, okay?"

"As you wish, M'lady," Chat bowed.

They set out into the night, keeping to the high places so Chat could listen and watch and smell for anything out of the ordinary. It didn't take long at all for him to discover something strange.

"Over there, in the distance. Can you see that?" he asked, pointing to the south of the city.

Ladybug squinted. "Is that...helicopters?"

"I think so. And I see blue lights, too. Police and news helicopters, that means something big."

"Sounds like a job for the bug and cat team. Shall we?"

"Ladies first."

They raced to the scene, not sure what to expect. As they approached they noticed that whatever it was, seemed to be moving up the road.

"It's a police chase!" Chat announced, finally glimpsing the squad of police cars following a single dark sedan speeding up the highway. A swarm of helicopters, some police and some news, were also in pursuit. The former shining bright spotlights on the fleeing vehicle so it couldn't hide down dark streets.

"What do you think it is? A kidnapping? A bank robbery?" Ladybug asked.

"Doesn't really matter at this point, does it? We just need to stop that car. How about maneuver fifteen?" It was their go-to car stopping routine. Chat would anchor his staff between two posts and Ladybug would catch the vehicle around the axle with her yo-yo. Then she'd wrap the string around Chat's staff to stop the car.

"We'll have to get them to turn down a side street first," she said. "If you extend your staff across the highway it'll be a hazard to other cars."

"Right, how are we going to do that?"

Ladybug looked around shrewdly for a moment. "I've got an idea. You follow that car. Keep as close behind it as you can. If this works, it'll turn onto the next off-ramp, and that's when you make your move. I'll be there."

"Got it!" He leapt from the building and raced toward the fleeing vehicle. There was no question in his mind that Ladybug would be successful, he had been working with her for too long to doubt that she could pull anything off.

With his peripheral vision he could see that while he had dropped down to the street level, Ladybug had shot up, catching her yo-yo on the landing skid of one of the police helicopters and swinging herself into the open fuselage.

He couldn't pay too much attention to what she was doing, though. It was taking all his effort to keep pace with the speeding sedan. In the orange glow of the streetlights he could see the silhouettes of at least two passengers through the windows. The flashing blue lights of the police cruisers racing behind him filled the world with a bizarre strobe-like effect. Their wailing sirens echoed through his skull almost painfully, magnified a hundredfold by his super hearing.

And then the chopping roaring sound of a helicopter suddenly grew much closer and louder. The street ahead grew blindingly bright. Wind like a hurricane rushed over the highway, and a police chopper hovered into view ahead of the escaping sedan.

The car swerved and skidded unsteadily a bit, then darted off onto the exit.

Chat was ready. He focused on two lamp posts on either side of the road, pressed the extend button, and flung his staff. At the same time, Ladybug's yo-yo flew past him like a missile, latching onto the axle under the car. Ladybug slid under Chat's staff, wrapping the string of her yo-yo around it as it extended and caught the two posts. She gripped tightly while the car came to a straining, grinding halt ahead of them.

For one brief moment, everything seemed to pause while a cloud of dust settled around the Now still vehicle. Then the police cars caught up to them, rushing onto the ramp, lights flashing and sirens wailing.

Chat withdrew his staff, Ladybug her yo-yo, and they jumped out of the way while the squad cars swerved past them to block off the escape. Officers swarmed around the vehicle, surrounded it with weapons drawn, extracted the suspects, and slapped on handcuffs.

"Is there anything else we can do to help?" Chat asked a nearby police officer.

"I think we've got it under control from here," she said. "Thank you for the help, you two. Chases like this sometimes don't end well for other drivers on the highway. By the way, I'm glad to see you're okay, Chat Noir. A lot of us at the station were pretty worried."

"I am a superhero, you know," Chat grinned. "It would take more than a pesky gunshot to the head to take me out."

Next to him, twirling her yo-yo blindingly fast and watching the proceedings, Ladybug snorted derisively.

The two of them stayed to answer a few questions for the police record: like when had they noticed the disturbance; how long had they been involved; and had they noticed anything else important. While they were talking, several news vans pulled up out of nowhere. Reporters with their camera crews erupted from the vans and fell upon Ladybug and Chat Noir with a merciless onslaught of questions.

"Ladybug! When did you...?"

"Chat Noir! How did you...?"

"Ladybug! Is it true that...?"

"...know that you..."

"...survive the..."

"Will you be returning...?"

"Whoa, whoa! Take it easy guys!" Chat held up his clawed hands to stem the tide of their questioning. "We can't even understand what you're saying. How about you, first? _Kid Plus TV_ , I like you guys."

"Chat Noir, how did you recover so quickly from being shot?" the young reporter asked, beaming at having been chosen first,

"Simple. One part superpowers, and one part totally amazing and quick-thinking partner. Next?"

"Ladybug!" Another reporter shouted before the others. "Is it true that you were gravely injured by a villain last month? The one who could control plants?"

"Um, yeah. I did have a close call. But fortunately I also have an amazing and quick-thinking partner. I'm just fine now."

"Are you two making this change to vigilante work permanent?" Another shouted. "How do the police feel about it?"

"We made a promise to always help whenever we could," Ladybug answered. "And we intend to keep that promise as long as our help is welcome. If you want to know how the police feel about it, I suggest asking them. But we have been cooperating with them and so far haven't had any complaints."

"After the last couple videos we've seen of you, a lot of people think it looks like you two are in love with one another. Do you have any comment on that?"

Chat had Ladybug's standard reply to this question memorized. He'd had his heart crushed by it more times than he cared to remember. And he couldn't imagine that she would suddenly agree to tell the whole world that their superhero personas were a couple. "Ladybug and I are partners," he answered. "And of course we care about one another deeply..."

Ladybug grabbed his hand and he looked down curiously into her eyes shining orange in the lamplight.

"If I was Ladybug," she whispered so that only he could hear her, "and in love with Chat Noir, I wouldn't mind kissing him whenever I got the chance, even in front of cameras."

"Really?" He could hardly believe his ears.

"Let them watch," she whispered with a grin. She grabbed Chat and kissed him soundly in front of everyone.

The world stopped. The only thing he could feel was her soft mouth against his own. The only sound he could hear was his heart thundering in his chest.

Chat kissed her back, hesitantly at first, then with more enthusiasm as his surprise melted away. She had just given him permission to do something he had desperately longed to do for ages. It didn't matter at all that they were surrounded by news cameras and reporters showering them with a barrage of fresh questions. It didn't matter that the police officers surrounding them exploded with cheers and whistles. Nothing mattered at all except for Ladybug.

When they parted, the reporters desperately voiced their excited and demanding inquiries, each clamoring to be heard over all the others.

"Well," Chat laughed, rubbing the back of his his neck sheepishly while Ladybug smiled up at him. "I guess that answers that question!"


	22. Chapter 22

A loud banging noise startled Adrien out of a profoundly deep sleep. He shot upright, staring around blearily for the source of the racket, ready to fight off some unknown danger.

More banging, it was coming from his bedroom door.

"Adrien! Get your butt out of bed, man! C'mon!" Nino hollered, thumping hard. "Don't make me come in there!"

"Huh?" Adrien struggled to get his bearings. What was going on? Why would Nino be so insistent on waking him up? He blinked and squinted at his phone.

"Ten thirty? Wow, I slept in. All right! I'm up! I'm up!"

Then he remembered the promise he'd made the previous day. He was supposed to have gone with Nino early in the morning and be moral support while he chose an engagement ring for Alya. "Oh, man! Sorry, Nino. I'm on my way!" He jumped out of bed, knocking Plagg off his pillow, and threw on a change of clothes.

"Ugh, do we have to?" Plagg groaned, rolling to his belly and rubbing his eyes.

Adrien didn't bother answering. He just ran a brush once through his hair to tame it a bit, grabbed his wallet, and held out his jacket. Plagg groaned again, but flew over and tucked himself into the inside pocket without any further complaint.

Adrien opened his bedroom door and saw Nino standing there with his arms folded. "Sorry, Nino," Adrien apologized again while he hurried to the kitchen to pour some cereal. "I was up kind of late last night. I didn't think I'd sleep in like that."

Chat Noir and Ladybug had spent most of the night on patrol together, and Adrien had only gotten back to his room around three in the morning.

"You weren't up that late," Nino reminded him. "You went to bed at ten."

"Oh, yeah. It sure felt late, though. I guess I was more tired than I thought."

"All right. Don't worry about it," Nino said. "You're doing me a solid, I won't gripe. You ready yet?"

Adrien gulped the last of the milk and slammed down the bowl. "Let's go."

Nino drove them to _Lune Bleue_ , a small but famous jewelry store just north of the Tuileries Garden. Inside, the store smelled faintly of wood polish, leather, and expensive cologne. Dark hardwood floors supported black cabinets with bright golden handles. The room was dimly lit except for the dazzling lights shining on the sparkling jewelry in the glass cases. Each display was small, set apart, unique, unlike other jewelry stores that Adrien had visited, which tended to showcase as much as possible to tempt shoppers. The _Lune Bleue_ seemed to emphasize the uniqueness of their items instead.

Nino wandered quietly around the floor, studying all the different items for sale, and seeming to hope that the perfect ring would just jump out at him. Adrien shadowed him placidly, glancing at the jewelry here and there, rather impressed by some of the more extravagant pieces.

Finally, they were approached by a young saleswoman wearing a crisp business suit and blue silk cravat. "Can I help you gentlemen find something?"

Nino jumped as though he expected her to attack him. "I... er... umm... I need to... I mean I want to... no. I'm just..."

Adrien rolled his eyes and decided to come to the rescue. "My friend is looking for an engagement ring," he said, slapping Nino on the back.

"Wonderful! Do you know what style you're looking for and what size you need?"

"S-size?" Nino sounded panicked.

"You don't know Alya's ring size?" Adrien asked.

"No! Is that supposed to be common knowledge or something? Are boyfriends supposed to ask about ring sizes on the first date? Do you know Marinette's ring size?"

"Nino! Chill out! It'll be fine."

"You can always bring the ring back here later and we can size it for you at no additional cost," the saleswoman assured him.

"But I don't want to get the wrong size in the first place!"

"Here, I have an idea. I'll just ask Marinette." Adrien pulled out his phone and dialed.

"You can't do that! What if she tells Alya?"

"Don't worry, she's pretty good at keeping secrets," Adrien assured him.

"Good morning, Adrien," Marinette answered cheerily through the phone. "Can't bear to spend another moment without hearing the melodious sound of my voice?"

Adrien smiled and felt himself blush a little bit. He was enjoying the wonderful fusion of Ladybug and Marinette, the very best of both sides of her mingled together.

He cleared his voice quickly and answered. "I would love to tell you that's the only reason I'm calling. But first, before I say anything else, is Alya with you right now?"

"Um, yeah she's here. At the moment she's obsessed with reading emails on her phone. Her blog exploded last night, you know."

Adrien chuckled. He could just imagine Alya seeing the news reports after last night. "I wish I'd been there to see her reaction."

"Oh, don't worry. She's still freaking out and it's going on five hours now. She may never be the same again."

"What reaction?" Nino demanded. "She didn't figure it out, did she?"

"No, no, it's something else. Just a second," he waved Nino away. "I'm not on speakerphone am I?" he asked Marinette. "She can't hear me, right?"

"No, she's totally oblivious," she assured him. "What's up?"

"Listen, I'm going to tell you something and you need to keep a straight face. This is a secret, okay?"

"Okay...?"

"Nino needs her ring size."

He caught the sound of a small gasp. Then there was a long silence that continued to stretch out as the seconds ticked by.

"Marinette? Are you still there?"

"Yeah," she squeaked. Then she cleared her voice. "Yeah," she gasped. She took a deep breath. "That's... good news," she added, a bit more casually but still strained. "So, you thought I could help you with that, did you?" He could hear the smile stretched across her face.

"I hoped you could. If you don't know it, then Nino will just have to pick a ring and hope it's the right size. They can resize it at the store later if he gets it wrong."

"Oh... I see. Hmm. Well, I don't know. I can find out for you, though."

"You can? That would be awesome. Just don't spoil the surprise," Adrien warned.

"Of course not. I've got an idea for the perfect cover story. I'll text you in a few minutes. Just leave it to me."

"You are simply amazing. I knew I could count on you, princess." The term of endearment just rolled off his tongue by accident. He froze for a second in surprise, and then laughed at himself, remembering how, as Chat Noir, he'd called Marinette 'princess' long before he'd known that she was Ladybug.

Marinette laughed, too. "Anytime, hot stuff."

Adrien laughed even harder as he hung up his phone. As far as he could remember, and he certainly would have remembered, she had never called him 'hot stuff' before, neither as Marinette nor as Ladybug. So where had that come from? Oh well, he'd take it.

"So?" Nino asked.

"She's on it," Adrien told him, still grinning. "Just start picking the style you want to get and we should have the size in a few minutes."

The saleswoman led them to the corner of the store with the collection of engagement rings and wedding bands. She brought out the display and started going over the details of various styles with Nino, asking questions along the way to get a better idea of what he was looking for.

Adrien settled on a stool, leaned against the display case, and looked over the rings with mild interest. He wondered what style of wedding band would be best as far as comfort and practicality went. He knew, from wearing the black cat miraculous for three years, that having a large piece of metal permanently on one's finger could be uncomfortable and a nuisance at times.

As he idly glanced over the assorted engagement rings, he noticed that one that stood out from the others. The metal from which it was made had a rosy pink hue very similar to the color of the walls in Marinette's room. He looked a little closer and saw that the band around the central diamond was crafted into a delicate filigree, much like the design on Marinette's favorite shirt or the decorative stitching on the bag she carried with her wherever she went.

He shook his eyes off the ring. He was supposed to be there to support Nino. He had no business window shopping for an engagement ring for Marinette,

 _It is a very beautiful ring, though. I've never seen anything like it._ His eyes wandered back to where the rose gold ring sparkled in its case. He could imagine carrying it around in his pocket, finding the right opportunity to...

 _I'm being stupid. I can't possibly be thinking about buying her an engagement ring,_ he chastised himself, wrenching his eyes away again.

Nino had selected a ring he liked and the saleswoman was explaining the warranty and an insurance policy the store offered.

 _It is the perfect one for her, though,_ Adrien, thought, his mind wandering back to the rose gold ring. _I know she would love it._ He pictured the way her eyes would light up when she saw it, the way it would look on her finger, like it had been designed just for her.

 _What if she isn't ready to be asked yet?_ He argued with himself. _What if I'm totally rushing things?_

 _But I've been in love with her for years._ The other part of his mind argued back. _I know there's no one else I will ever want to be with._

 _But we've only been dating for a few weeks!_ His rational side countered. _And besides, I don't even know what size ring she wears._

Just then his phone buzzed. He pulled it out of his pocket and checked the screen.

 **Marinette: Alya wears ring size 7, just like me! :)**

Adrien contemplated the message for a moment with a mixture of relief and incredulity. Why had she added the second part? It seemed a little too convenient to be an idle comment. She was volunteering information, and she didn't need to, unless maybe it was part of her cover story. But Adrien couldn't imagine a cover story that would include Marinette texting Alya's ring size to him without raising serious suspicion. The text had to have been sent discreetly. So the only conclusion was that Marinette wanted to share that specific information with him. She wanted Adrien to know her ring size.

He smiled and shook his head, slightly annoyed but mostly amused. Was he so obvious that she knew exactly what he was thinking before he did himself? If she prompted him to do this, how could it possibly be a surprise? Well, he could always get the ring now and hold onto it for awhile. He would want to plan something special, after all.

"Ma'am?" He called. "I think I'm interested in getting one, too, actually."

"What?" Nino asked. "No way! Are you serious?"

Adrien shrugged. "It seems like the thing to do these days. Don't worry; I won't steal your thunder. I just really like that ring for Marinette." He indicated the rose gold ring with delicate filigree.

"Oh, good choice," the saleswoman beamed. "That's my personal favorite, too. Do you know what size she wears?"

"Size seven, just like Alya." Adrien winked at Nino, who still seemed thunderstruck.

"Uh, can we have a minute?" Nino asked the woman, who politely stepped away.

"Adrien, bro, listen." Nino grabbed his arm and regarded him with nervous severity. "I... I'm no good at this, okay, but I have to say something. You and Marinette... it's cool and all, but, it all seemed sort of sudden. You know? One day she was just a friend, and the next you couldn't keep your eyes off her. It's like someone slipped you a love potion or something. And It's kind of... I'm just saying... what if the potion wears off?"

"Nino, it's..."

"I like Marinette, really," Nino added hastily, clearly worried that Adrien was going to be angry. "You two seem right for one another. I'm just sayin', as a friend, that it's easy to jump in to some things but not so easy to jump back out. Know what I mean?"

Adrien smiled at his friend. "I know what you mean, Nino. I was thinking about that too. But, it's like I told you before: I didn't suddenly fall for Marinette, I was in love with her for a long time, but I just didn't know it."

"What does that even mean?" Nino asked.

Adrien took a moment to collect his thoughts, to try to explain some small part of the truth to him. "For a long time I thought that she was just a friend, but pretty much from the day we met, she was... special. I don't know how else to explain it. But trust me on this. It isn't just some passing infatuation. And I'm pretty sure she feels the same way about me."

"Okay, dude," Nino conceded. "You know better than I do what's up with you two. I don't really get it, but I'll believe you."

"Good, so let's get those rings. And, Nino?"

"Yeah?"

"Thanks. I know you're trying to look out for me. I appreciate it."

When they had gone over the warranty and insurance paperwork and made their purchases — Nino had practically choked when he'd seen the price tag — they decided to see what the girls were up to. From Adrien's conversation with Marinette, it sounded like they were just hanging out and might be up to doing something together. So Adrien sent Marinette another text.

 **Adrien: Hey, princess! XD Do you and Alya want to go with us to find André and get some ice cream?**

André was a local legend who ran an Internet-famous ice cream cart in the city. People traveled from all over to sample his wares, and often had to search for hours just to find him. He specialized in preparing unique ice cream creations for couples, and even went so far as to claim that his ice cream had magical properties, so that couples who ate it together would stay together forever.

It took a few minutes for Marinette to respond. And when she did, her message seemed a bit truncated.

 **Marinette: Yes. We're at Alya's house.**

Adrien furrowed his brow and frowned at the message, wondering what was up. Marinette couldn't have an objection to going to André's cart with him. Dating couples did that all the time. It was practically a rite of passage.

No, she must've been distracted or something when she'd sent the message. Or maybe Adrien was just being overly analytical again and there wasn't anything wrong at all.

He and Nino started making their way to Alya's parents' house. Nino talked the whole time about his plans for creating the perfect romantic date to set the mood for his proposal. He knew Alya was a practical girl who didn't care much about traditional romantic gestures. She would be much more touched by an adventure or a bonding experience than a candlelit dinner with flowers and violin music. So Nino was wavering between a skydiving proposal or a paintball park date.

Adrien listened politely, offering his opinion when appropriate. He also started to think about what he might do for Marinette when his turn came. He would keep his promise to Nino and not propose until well after Nino had. But it didn't hurt to think about it.

Unlike Alya, Marinette was a traditional romantic at heart. She loved classic gestures like flowers, candles, music, dancing, and poetry. And she appreciated it when Adrien showed his sensitive side, too. Chat had been flirting with Ladybug for years, but she hadn't responded at all until he'd finally let his guard down and shown himself to be vulnerable.

Different scenarios danced through his mind. Some of which involved Adrien and Marinette and some which would require Chat Noir and Ladybug. He imagined proposing at the pinnacle of the Eiffel Tower during a full moon as Chat Noir, or taking her dancing somewhere as Adrien, just the two of them and a hired string quartet.

Almost as though echoing his thoughts, a pink paper heart taped in someone's window caught his attention, perhaps a leftover decoration from Valentines Day. Adrien remembered the mysterious valentine card he'd once received, a long time ago it seemed. Someone had found a love poem he'd written for Ladybug and answered it, but hadn't signed it. He was almost certain now that it had been Marinette.

Then he noticed another paper heart in someone else's window, a red one this time. And then another.

"Nino, is there some event or something going on that has to do with hearts?" Adrien asked, looking around and finding yet another heart, this one accompanied by a shiny pink heart shaped balloon.

"Not that I know of. What're you talking about?"

"Look." Adrien pointed out several of the paper hearts. And as they looked around, he saw a girl come out onto her balcony and begin hanging a string of heart-shaped lights.

"Hey, Miss!" Nino called up to her. "What's with the hearts?"

"Don't you read the Ladyblog?" She called down. "It's for Ladybug and Chat Noir!"

"Huh?" Adrien and Nino asked in unison.

The girl laughed. "You haven't heard? Just go read it!"


	23. Chapter 23

Adrien and Nino didn't have to bother asking about the Ladyblog when they finally arrived at Alya's parents' house. As soon as she answered the door, Alya practically dragged them into the living room where she forced them to sit down on the sofa and watch the news footage from the previous night. Adrien tried to greet Marinette, who was leaning against the wall and watching them with an amused expression, but he barely had a chance to say hi before Alya was shushing him with a scowl and telling him to pay attention to the video.

It was, of course, the news footage from the interview after the police chase. Adrien and Nino watched as the reporters asked their questions, getting answers to the mysteries that had been plaguing their viewers for weeks. Then one reporter asked whether Chat and Ladybug were in love. Chat started to answer, but was stopped by Ladybug who whispered something to him which the microphone couldn't pick up.

Adrien smiled in anticipation. And then watched as Ladybug kissed a thoroughly stunned Chat Noir on the screen. The police officers surrounding them jumped, cheered, and clapped. The reporter was saying something that got lost in the ambient noise. On the couch next to Adrien, Nino whooped and whistled. "Right on! Now that's what I'm talking about!"

Adrien grinned at Alya. "I always said those two belonged together."

"I know, right?" Alya squealed. "And we aren't the only ones who think so! I updated my blog this morning and embedded the news clip. Everyone is freaking out over this!"

"Almost as much as you are," Marinette interjected with a smirk.

"So," Alya continued without missing a beat. "I told everyone that, in order to show support for the bug and cat pairing, they should all put up hearts where Ladybug and Chat Noir can see them. You know, to let them know we're happy for them. We should go out and see if anyone is doing it!"

"Oh, they are," Adrien assured her, standing up and walking over to Marinette now that he wasn't confined to the sofa. "We saw about a dozen different hearts on our way here."

"Really?"

"Yeah, paper hearts, balloons, lights, flags, they're going up all over the place."

"I gotta see this! Come on, Nino!" Alya rushed to the door without another word and Nino followed her.

Adrien took the opportunity while they were alone to greet Marinette properly. He grabbed her hand and pulled her into a warm embrace which she easily, if shyly, returned.

"Thanks," he whispered. "You saved the day again, getting her ring size. I don't know how you managed it."

"It wasn't too hard," she answered when he released her. "I'm designing some vintage style elbow-length gloves, and asked if she would like to be the model for them. She agreed, so of course I needed to take her measurements. Once I had her finger circumference it was an easy conversion."

"Interesting that you two have the same ring size, isn't it?" he mused rubbing his chin.

Marinette blushed and looked at her feet. "Well, yeah. I mean... I just noticed that. I hope you didn't think that I was trying to... you know. Because I didn't think about how that text would sound, and I didn't mean to imply..."

Adrien started laughing as the whole mystery fell into place before him. Marinette had sent the message telling him her ring size. Then she must have realized it would look like she was hinting at a ring for herself, and she'd become embarrassed or self-conscious. That explained the clipped text he'd gotten earlier and her shyness now.

"Don't worry, princess. You haven't scared me off." Then he added, with a glint of mischief in his eye, "I'm glad you told me. It'll save me the trouble of having to ask you."

Marinette's mouth fell open.

"Are you really so surprised that I might be interested in that information?" He asked, tucking a loose strand of hair back up into her bun. His fingers lingered on the silky smoothness of her neck.

She closed her mouth again and smiled tentatively. "I... guess not."

"You're wearing your hair up again," he noticed.

"Just for you."

"Do you know how badly I want to kiss you right now?"

"I wish you would."

He didn't need any further invitation. Their lips met in a soft, slow, gentle, smoldering kiss, filled with unspoken promises. Adrien's mind was filled with her warm scent and the sweetness of her lips. They only parted when the front door opened and Alya and Nino came back inside.

"So," Alya smirked at having caught them kissing again. "Did you two want to go get ice cream, or what?"

"I don't know," Adrien grinned at her, his arm still around Marinette's waist. "I was kind of enjoying myself right here."

"See what I mean?" Nino asked gesturing to Adrien while Alya laughed, apparently referencing some previous conversation they'd had.

"Well, my parents don't want their house to become snog central. And I want to go get pictures of all the hearts people are putting up so I can post them to my blog. So you two can either come with or go get a room somewhere."

"All right, Alya," Marinette rolled her eyes and grabbed her bag. "You know he was joking."

"Was I?" Adrien asked, then laughed when she smacked his arm.

The paper heart phenomenon had expanded noticeably even in the short time Adrien and Nino had been at Alya's place. While they scoured the city looking for André's cart, they noticed that half of all the residential buildings had at least one heart decoration on display. And by the time they finally found André, the hearts had become so prevalent that they weren't surprised to find even the ice cream cart decorated with a few.

"Ah, pretty Marinette!" André greeted, gesturing broadly with his arms. "You've found your true love, I see. How delightful!"

"Hi André. You read the Ladyblog too?" Marinette asked, pointing at the decorative red hearts with white lace hanging from his cart.

"Of course! When love is in the air, André will be there! In honor of Paris' two favorite lovebirds, I'm offering a Ladybug and Chat Noir special to celebrate their blossoming romance. Would you care to try?"

"Yeah!" Adrien and Marinette agreed.

"Excellent!" André produced a large waffle cone and started scooping out ice cream from his tubs. "Darkest cocoa with butterscotch for Chat Noir, and red raspberry with chocolate crumbles for Ladybug. Enjoy and may your love always stay true!"

Alya and Nino also got the Ladybug and Chat Noir special. In fact, it seemed like most everyone who visited André's cart was ordering it. And as they started making their way to the nearby park, Adrien noticed more hearts than ever. Even a few businesses had hearts displayed from their windows.

"Wow, that heart thing is really taking off," Nino observed, while a girl passed them wearing heart shaped sunglasses and a t-shirt with a large heart design emblazoned on the front.

"Yeah! This was the most popular blog post I've ever written," Alya said. "Even bigger than when Chat Noir was shot a few days ago. It might have something to do with people being relieved that he's okay and also with seeing him and Ladybug _finally_ kiss after all this time. I'm guessing it'll probably die down by tomorrow though."

But, contrary to Alya's assumption, the hearts didn't go away overnight. In fact, there were even more hearts the next day. Nearly every house and apartment had one on display. Most businesses had one or more large decorative hearts in their front windows. Many offered paper hearts for sale, with the proceeds going to charity. The day after that found many souvenir shops selling old Valentine's Day paraphernalia to meet the demand for heart-shaped merchandise. Some stores offered discounts for people who came in wearing hearts. And on the fourth day, the day of the fashion show, Ladybug and Chat Noir's romance and the subsequent paper heart phenomenon was headline news on every station and on the front page of every newspaper.

"Wow, who would have thought that everyone would be so excited about Ladybug and Chat Noir getting together?" Adrien mused, looking around at all the paper hearts while he walked to Marinette's family-owned bakery.

"Yeah, go figure." Plagg said, poking his head out of Adrien's pocket.

"I mean, I knew it would make news. But this seems a bit much."

"Maybe it's because everyone's been debating and betting on whether or not you two were in love for so long," Plagg offered. "It seemed like most people thought you were a couple. So now you've proved it, and the heart thing is a way for them all to kind of gloat that they were right all along."

Adrien contemplated this observation while he stepped into the bakery. The little bell dinged overhead, and the first thing he noticed was a selection of heart-shaped cookies prominently displayed right in the center of the sales floor.

"Hello Adrien," Mr. Dupain greeted him from behind the counter, wearing his usual apron that seemed to be perpetually dusted with flour. "I think Marinette is still getting ready. You can wait in the living room if you like."

"Thank you, Mr. Dupain."

Adrien let himself into the back where the living room was and sat on the couch. A few minutes later, Marinette came skipping down the stairs wearing a red jacket over a short black skirt which showed her long graceful legs to tantalizing advantage.

"Hello, princess," Adrien said, standing to kiss her hand.

"Hey, hot stuff."

Adrien couldn't answer for a few seconds because he was laughing.

"What?" Marinette asked, chuckling with him.

"Okay, I can't put it off any longer. I've got to ask. Where does 'hot stuff' come from? I have to know."

"Oh... yeah, there's a story about that."

"And I want to hear it."

"Well, it's kind of embarrassing actually."

"That only makes me want to hear it even more."

"Okay, fine. I'll tell you on the way," she agreed reluctantly.

"Fair enough, are you ready? You look nice."

"Thanks. I'm excited! I've been looking forward to this all month."

"Good. Shall we, then?" He held out his arm formally and she took it with a slight blush.

As they walked through the sales floor they bid farewell to Marinette's father, who looked a little shocked at his daughter's appearance. Maybe the skirt was too short for his approval. He spluttered something about being good and not staying out too late.

"Don't worry, dad. Adrien's a real gentleman, isn't that right?" She grinned up at Adrien and he chuckled nervously under Mr. Dupain's speculative gaze as they walked out the door.

Adrien took a deep, settling breath once they were finally free of the penetrating stare of Marinette's father.

"You aren't scared of my dad, are you?" Marinette asked while they made their way to the metro.

"W-what? Are you kidding? Your dad is huge! He's got to secretly be a professional weightlifter or something."

"He's a big teddy bear!"

"Yeah, until he suspects that I might break your heart or take advantage of you. Then he'll twist me into a pretzel and bake me in that giant oven."

"That's so morbid!" Marinette laughed. "You know my dad likes you."

"Yeah, like that would stop him bumping me off if he thought I'd hurt you."

Marinette smiled and shook her head in disbelief.

"Okay, so we're on our way now. I'm ready to hear the story behind 'hot stuff.'"

Marinette's smile shifted to a frown. "I hoped you would have forgotten..."

"Not a chance."

Their train arrived and Marinette had a brief reprieve while they found a quiet corner to sit in.

"Well?" Adrien pressed as their train started accelerating over the tracks.

"All right, there was one time back in school when Alya was trying to convince me to call you and ask you out. This was years ago, okay? I was really nervous, and your phone went to voicemail."

"And, what, you hung up?"

"No, I left the most awkward message ever in the history of awkward voice messages. And then... I forgot to hang up."

"I don't remember this."

"I know. There's more to the story. After I _thought_ I'd hung up, I complained to Alya that I couldn't just say whatever came to mind. Something like, 'what am I going to say to him? "Hey, hot stuff, I'd ask you out but I have such a huge crush on you that I can't talk to you without drooling all over myself like a rabid dog."'Or something like that anyway. Then I realized everything I'd said to her was included with the message." She hid her face behind her hands while Adrien laughed so hard he had to wipe tears from his eyes. Some of the other passengers eyed them curiously.

"So I spent the rest of that day stealing your phone and trying to erase the message," she finished.

"You... you stole my phone?" Adrien asked, scarcely believing it.

"Well, yeah! I couldn't let you hear that message, could I? And ever since then Alya has teased me about calling you 'hot stuff' and I guess the name kind of stuck."

"I can't believe I never found out. Wait, was that the time my phone went missing from my locker during fencing practice?"

"Yeah. Sorry about that."

"It's okay; it all turned out fine. At the time I thought I was losing my mind when I couldn't find it. I was worried because I had pictures of my mom in there and... well, it's not important now."

"Oh! Ugh, now I really feel like a horrible person!" Marinette groaned.

"No, don't worry about it. It was a long time ago. I got it back, and I made sure to back up the photos, too. No harm done. I do wish I could have heard that message, though. It sounds like it would have been very entertaining."

His attempt at levity managed to elicit a smile from Marinette.

They reached their stop, a large central station right outside of where the fashion show was being held.

"So, we're going on a date finally. Are you ready for this? There will be a lot of big name fashion designers attending if you feel like rubbing elbows and making connections."

"I'm here because I want to be with you, not to get my foot in the door of the fashion industry." Marinette insisted while they climbed the steps to the street level.

"Well, there are two small problems with that, princess," Adrien pointed out. "First, I'm going to be busy in the show myself, so you'll be on your own until afterwards. And second, in case you haven't noticed, your foot is already wedged firmly in the door. Didn't you hear what my father said the last time you two met?"

"That he thought I was talented? Wasn't he just flattering me for your sake?" Marinette asked, confused.

"My father never flatters anyone. He never even compliments anyone if he can help it _._ "

Marinette paused and was silent for a minute. "Wow," she said finally. "Really?"

"Yeah, you're really talented. Anyone who's seen your work knows that. If you aren't careful, someone at the fashion show is going to snatch you up and hire you on the spot."

"Well, I'm still only here because I want to be with you. But if I have to talk to some boring famous fashion superstars then I guess I'll just have to manage."

"That's right. Just suffer through it," he grinned and Marinette grinned back.

They approached the entrance to the extravagant _Gabriel_ flagship store together. Limousines and other fancy shiny cars were lined up along the circular drive, waiting for valet service.

A security guard stopped them to scan their tickets even though he clearly recognized Adrien. "Welcome, Mr. Agreste... Miss." And he opened the door for them.

The central courtyard of _Gabriel_ _1_ had been cleared of all its usual booths and merchandise. It had been transformed into the perfect venue for a fashion show, filled with chairs, large areas roped off and reserved for the press, and of course the ash grey carpeted stage and deep purple curtains as the focal point. The six floors of shopping areas around and above them were dark, closed for business for the duration the show. But the courtyard itself was illuminated with spotlights and filled with pulsing music and the buzz of excitement.

Marinette, eyes shining, squeezed Adrien's hand and gasped as she took it all in. "This is the most amazing thing ever!"

Adrien squeezed her hand back. He'd never managed to see these fashion shows as anything other than a nuisance before. It was refreshing to see someone actually enjoying one.

"Look, there's Mr. Monteleone!" Marinette gushed. "He's the head of the biggest fashion house in Italy. And over there, those people look like they're from Star Smile, a really high end line of children's clothing in Japan. And...oooh! I see some of the models over there! Real live supermodels!"

"Marinette..." Adrien rolled his eyes.

"Oh, yeah. And you're one of them, too, of course. I knew that." She laughed. "I'm just really excited to be here."

"There you are, Adrien!" Gabriel Agreste strode purposefully toward them, his stony expression slightly more severe than usual. "The show begins in forty five minutes. They're waiting for you behind the stage."

'They' were obviously his father's top fashion designer, assistants, and makeup artists.

"Yes father," Adrien answered, out of long habit. "I'll be right there."

Gabriel nodded curtly and stalked away.

Adrien turned to Marinette and sighed. "The way he talks you'd think I'm late or something. I guess I gotta go now. Your ticket says where your seat is. But feel free to walk around and mingle. And I guess I'll be seeing you from the catwalk."

Marinette raised an eyebrow at him.

"What? That's what it's called!"

Her mouth twitched with a suppressed smile.

Adrien felt a small surge of rebellious mischief. He grabbed Marinette and kissed her, then moved his mouth to her ear and murmured. "I'll find you after the show, bugaboo."

Marinette gasped. "You know the rules!" She hissed reproachfully.

"Yeah, but sometimes I just can't help myself." He winked at her and strolled off toward the stage.

Adrien spent the next half hour getting primped and beautified. His hairdresser _tsk_ ed in disapproval at the purple bruise just visible below Adrien's hair line. But his makeup artist managed to conceal it easily. Adrien tried on several of the outfits so the designers could make last minute alterations, but mostly he sat in his chair in front of the mirror with bright lights shining on his face and wondered what Marinette was up to while he was imprisoned behind the stage.

His phone buzzed on the counter and he grabbed at it eagerly.

 **Marinette: I met Mr. Monteleone and the heads of a few other fashion houses. You were right, I already have two job offers lol**

Adrien was about to respond when he was snatched up by one of his father's assistants to get dressed in his first ensemble for the evening. By the time they'd put everything on him and his hairdresser touched up a few strands that had fallen out of place, the models were all lining up for the countdown to the catwalk.

Adrien heard his phone buzz again, but it would have to wait. The house lights had dimmed. The spotlight beamed down on the announcer who was introducing _Gabriel's_ new fall line. Then the music began pulsing loudly through the speakers, thumping out the rhythm to which the models would march along the catwalk.

Adrien couldn't hear his phone anymore. But his eyes flashed to where it sat on the counter when the screen lit up again. Another message? Was she wondering why he wasn't responding? She must know that he would be lined up and getting ready to walk out onto the catwalk, incapable of answering her texts right now.

The show lasted only ten minutes, and Adrien walked across the stage three times. Each time he was out there, keeping his face professionally neutral and blinded by the oppressively hot spotlights, he tried to catch a glimpse of Marinette in the crowd, but failed.

When the maddening ordeal was finally over and his father's assistants had stripped the impossibly expensive clothes from Adrien's body, he dressed himself in his own outfit, grabbed his phone, and read the first message.

 **Marinette: You might not be able to see me, but I'll blow a kiss to you from the crowd ;)**

The next one had been delivered two minutes later.

 **Marinette: I just got a breaking news alert, they're saying another akuma attack**

And the last one had followed shortly after.

 **Marinette: Definitely a villain. Not far from here. I have to go. I hope to see you again soon**

"What? What!? Why tonight? After all this time?" Adrien demanded, staring at the last message.

"Lady troubles?" Gabriel asked from right behind Adrien, making him jump.

"Uh, not really. But I do have to go now. Something's come up."

"I won't hear of it. Whatever it is can wait, we need to do the photo shoot now, while all the models are together."

"We've never done a photo shoot after a show before!"

"It's a new development, and in the contract. Come with me."

Adrien grimaced as he slowly pocketed his phone, but he couldn't think of a plausible excuse, so he had to obey.


	24. Chapter 24

Marinette stared at her phone in disbelief. Long ago she'd set her News app to alert her whenever a breaking report included key words such as 'villain', 'akumatized', or 'Hawkmoth'. For the past month the only alerts she'd gotten had been false alarms. But now, moments before Adrien was supposed to appear on the catwalk, a report came in unquestionably confirming that another akuma attack was taking place barely half a kilometer away from where they were.

She swore under her breath and sent another text to Adrien, alerting him to what was going on. With her message sent, Marinette squeezed her way through the crowd in the general direction of the restrooms, cursing Hawkmoth under her breath. Why did it have to be now, right when Adrien was so preoccupied? Right when they were finally having the date they'd been waiting for all month?

She sighed and shook her head, trying to get perspective on the situation. Defeating villains was much more important than a date. There was an unfortunate victim out there who needed her help, and probably a lot of bystanders in danger as well. She could spend time with her boyfriend when Paris wasn't in peril. Meanwhile she needed to contain this villain until Adrien could get away and Chat could come to her aid.

Marinette pushed her way out of the crowd, darted down a deserted hallway and slipped through an emergency exit, finding herself alone on the platform of a wide outdoor stairway. As soon as the door latched behind her Tikki flitted out of her bag, smiling, her clear blue eyes wide in expectation.

"Here we go again. Ready for this?" Marinette asked.

"Always!"

"Tikki, spots on!"

The little red kwami zoomed into Marinette's earring with a blinding flash of pink-white light. Marinette's skirt and jacket glowed and transformed into her hallmark red and black protective suit and mask. Her unbreakable magic yo-yo appeared, seemingly out of nowhere, tied at her waist. Power coursed through her slender body, her senses heightened, her strength magnified a hundredfold and more. And along with all of this came the familiar, undefinable sense of optimism and capability which she knew to be her power of good luck. She felt that she could do nearly anything, the universe was just waiting to assist her in any endeavor, all she had to do was ask and look for the clues.

The light of her transformation faded and the stairway darkened once more. Ladybug took a deep breath, settling her resolve against the likelihood of a tedious battle ahead. Then she cast her yo-yo and caught the spire of a distant building, near the place where she understood the villain to be rampaging, and pulled herself off the stairway into the dark night.

Moments later she caught herself on the spire, wind whipping through her hair a hundred stories off the ground. She gazed down at the distant street below and gasped in horror. What she saw could only be described as a glowing volcanic eruption. Rivers of molten lava bubbled and steamed in the street. Cars were melting away into sludge. Traffic lights and power lines were broken and toppled onto the pavement, sparking ominously. People were scattering everywhere in an attempt to find safety, screaming and crying.

At first, Ladybug wasn't sure where the akumatized villain actually was in all the chaos. There was so much glowing lava splattered everywhere, and so much manic activity, he wasn't easy to locate. Then she saw a car soar through the air and smash into the brick corner of a building and spotted him. The villain was stomping along the street near a tree which was engulfed in blinding flames, walloping everything he could reach with his massive stone like arms. He was enormous, easily able to grab and lift a car or even a bus in his hands. The ground trembled under his weight with every step he took. His body seemed to be made out of solid stone which glowed red-hot at the joints and in the cracks where his body flexed. The general effect was that he was a chunk of hot volcanic rock that had been brought to life.

Ladybug narrowed her eyes, scrutinizing her opponent. The creature was grabbing and hurling objects with both his hands, so he obviously wasn't carrying anything in them. And if the akuma wasn't embedded in something in his fist, it must be in something on him or somehow hidden inside his rock-like body.

The monster growled in seething rage and turned around, scanning his surroundings. And that's when Ladybug noticed the giant cigar smoldering between his clenched teeth.

"Aha, so that's where it is!" She murmured to herself in relief. "This might not be so difficult after all. I just hope Chat shows up soon."

She looked around once to see whether her partner was approaching, and frowned in disappointment when he was nowhere in sight. Then she cast her yo-yo and swung herself down to the street level on a wide arc, alighting on the roof of a wrecked bus.

The heat radiating from the street crashed over her in a wave, as though she had jumped into a hot oven. The smell of sulfur and melted asphalt and burnt rubber permeated the air. The rising heat carried sparks of burning debris in swirling eddies of air all around them. Ladybug was reminded of the time she and Chat had run through a burning building together. She gritted her teeth and faced the monster.

"Hey! Lava Guy!" She called. "Why don't you stop hurting people and give me that cigar?" She didn't really expect this to work. But she figured it was at least worth a try.

The villain turned toward her and regarded her with the most hateful, malevolent stare she had ever seen in a villain. His glowing eyes seethed at her, burning with some deep, personal, unforgivable transgression

"I am Hothead," he rumbled. "And you will pay for what you did, Ladybug!"

"What do you mean? What did I do?"

"You killed my brother!" He spat.

"I've never killed anyone! What are you...?"

"Everyone was so worried about your stupid cat partner. But did anyone care that my brother was shot to death because of you?!" He raised his arm and pointed an accusing finger at her.

"What?"

A blast of scorching lava shot from Hothead's hand, forcing Ladybug to dodge out of the way, leaping in a graceful arc to the walkway. Another blast, and another came after her. Hothead roared in frustration and stomped his monstrous boulder-like feet. The ground shook and cracked under the force of the blows. He aimed both hands at her and shot a continuous fountain of lava at her. Ladybug kept just ahead of the scorching flow, swinging around him in a wide arc. The volume of lava spewing from Hothead was gradually turning the intersection where they were battling into a molten swamp.

Finally, the villain's fire started to falter and the fountain died down. The red glow of his body dimmed as though the effort of his attacks had drained him of his energy. He paused and puffed on his cigar, still glaring at Ladybug. The glowing ember at the tip of the cigar brightened with each draw he took, and at the same time so did the rest of him. The luminous heat radiating from his fiery core strengthened and he regained his energy.

Satisfied, Hothead turned toward a small family which was taking advantage of the lull in activity to flee the scene. He growled and stomped on the ground. The street shook. The people toppled over.

Ladybug realized what was happening a split second too late. Hothead lifted his fist and shot a blast of lava just as she cast her yo-yo. The screams of the mother, father, and child lasted only a moment, then there was nothing left of them but ash.

She stared at the ashen figures for a moment, frozen in horror. Then she glared at the monster. She had seen villains do all kinds of terrible things before, but this seemed to be gratuitously brutal. "How could you?!" She demanded, shaking in fury.

The monster chuckled, a deep gravelly sound from somewhere in the depths of his chest, then whipped his arms around, spraying streams of lava in her direction.

Ladybug was much too nimble to be caught off guard by his slow, clumsy attack. She swung across the street, past the ghastly ash figures she had failed to save, and attempted to draw the villain's attention to the less crowded areas in their vicinity. She was determined to protect as many citizens as she could. Hothead seemed bent on causing as much pain and suffering as possible. And he apparently held a particular vendetta against Ladybug for the death of his brother. She tried to think who this villain's brother might have been, and why Hothead might blame her for his death. But she was too busy dodging his attacks and keeping him away from innocent bystanders to put much thought into it.

As the night wore on, everything became sprayed with molten lava, illuminating their battle with an eerie red glow. Most of the trees were on fire or completely burned to a cinder. Everyone had fled until only Ladybug and Hothead were to be seen, the streets were completely deserted. High overhead, hovering like bright stars in the sky, news helicopters kept watch over their progress. But still there was no sign of Chat Noir.

Ladybug began to grow concerned. Something was keeping her partner from coming to her. The fashion show should have been over long ago. Adrien should have gotten her texts. Even if he hadn't, he would definitely have found out about the akuma attack by now. Maybe he was just surrounded by too many people. Maybe someone was forcing everyone, including Adrien, to stay on lockdown until the battle was over.

She decided that she would have to do something. If Adrien was unable to get away unnoticed to help her, she knew one surefire way of creating a distraction so he could sneak out.

Ladybug swung across the street in front of Hothead, through the baking waves of heat radiating up from the pavement. The villain shot another stream of lava after her, and missed again.

"Come on Hothead! If you want to get me, you'll have to try harder than that!" she taunted. She leapt out of the way of another lava blast and lead the villain down the street.

Several intersections ahead she saw police cars at a roadblock, directing pedestrians and traffic to stay away. Ladybug cast her yo-yo and swung quickly up to them.

"Officers, I need your help!"

"Of course, what can we do?" one of them answered while the other looked nervously up the street toward the oncoming lava monster.

"I want to try taking this monster to the river," she lied. "I think if I can get him in the water, it will weaken him. Can you clear the way? Just a straight shot from here."

"We're on it!" The first officer pulled out his radio and began coordinating with his team to block the streets leading up to the Seine and make sure everyone was out of the way.

Ladybug ran back toward Hothead, swung her yo-yo at him, and grabbed his raised fist, trying to redirect it away from a building while he blasted more lava everywhere. She wasn't strong enough to move his arm, though, and only succeeded in irritating him. The monster glowered at her while she retracted her now scorching hot yo-yo.

"Has anyone ever told you you need to chill out?" Ladybug asked, smiling ruefully at her pun.

"No, they haven't. I was always the one who never lost my temper," he growled, infusing his response with so much accusatory distain that Ladybug wondered, yet again, who this villain was and why he was out to get her. He shot another spout of lava at her, forcing her to jump out of the way again and lose her train of thought.

Ladybug stayed just out of her enemy's reach, and Hothead trudged slowly down the street in pursuit of her, firing fountains of fire from his clenched fists, lava dribbling from every orifice on his rock-like body. Ladybug swung and danced ahead of him, keeping herself enticingly close, like a fly buzzing around his head.

Hothead growled and roared every time he tried but failed to attack her, spurting more lava across the street in his rage, melting through shop windows, igniting wood posts and trees. The scenery transformed around them as they traveled from a peaceful summer night into a hellish nightmare. Fortunately, the police were able to do what Ladybug had asked and there were no bystanders to worry about.

Finally, after what felt like hours of mind-numbilngly slow progress, they approached _Gabriel's._ Faces appeared in windows overhead as the lava monster drew near, radiating volcanic heat and spewing molten rock and fire in his wake. The ground shook under his thunderous footsteps. The glass front of the building shattered with the sudden temperature change at their approach.

The crowd inside the building started screaming and swarming in panic. Ladybug smiled as she heard people start pouring out of the emergency exits on the far side of the building. They were evacuating, just as she had expected them to. If this wasn't enough of a distraction to give Chat a chance to show up, she didn't know what would be.

In the meantime Hothead hadn't lost his focus on Ladybug. She didn't have a chance to relax and wait for her partner to appear. The villain continued blasting in her direction with fire and streams of lava, puffing on his mammoth cigar all the while.

"Listen, why don't we take a break? Aren't you tired by now?" She asked, exasperated.

"Never! I will never rest until you've paid for what you've done!" He roared, viciously.

Ladybug sighed, then had an idea. She cast her yo-yo at a nearby fire hydrant, catching the bolt with her string, and gave a gentle yank, twisting it open. A jet of water shot out, dousing Hothead with an explosive hiss. The villain roared in fury and shielded himself with his arm, engulfed in a cloud of hot steam.

No longer glowing red hot, the dull grey monster retreated hastily into the alleyway between the store and the parking garage, shedding a silver cloud of water vapor like a steam engine as he went.

Ladybug followed him, certain that she now had the upper hand. All she needed was for Chat Noir to show up, which he would at any moment, and they would finally finish this.

What she saw when she turned the corner, however, froze her in her tracks.

Hothead was not alone in the alleyway, it seemed not all of the occupants of the store had managed to evacuate yet. The villain stood, pulsing with growing heat, and glaring down at a terrified Gabriel Agreste who was shielding his son against the side of the building with his own body.

"No!" Ladybug cried, desperately. "Hothead, leave them alone!"

The monster turned slowly to look at her. "Are these people important to you?" He asked with a malicious grin.

"Every life is important to me!" She countered. But she knew she had already shown her hand.

Hothead puffed on his cigar, building up his heat and still grinning with evil intent. He aimed a rock-like hand at Gabriel and Adrien while they cowered against the wall, trapped.

Ladybug didn't know what to do. She looked at Adrien, pale with fear and pinned against the wall by his father. Gabriel was still attempting to shield him from certain death. Adrien just stared back at her, apparently he didn't have any idea what they might do to get out of this one. And if she waited any longer it would be too late, and there would be two charred figures where Adrien and his father now stood.

She couldn't stand by and let that happen, not while there was a chance she could prevent it. All at once, Ladybug decided to throw caution to the wind and take the consequences. She cast her yo-yo into the air and shouted, "Lucky Charm!"

While her yo-yo spun overhead, she remembered the things Tikki had said to her before, "Ladybug has good luck, Chat Noir has bad luck. If you don't have Chat Noir with you, your luck runs out," and "without Chat Noir, you're more vulnerable than you realize."

 _Oh well. It's about time I had my share of bad luck anyway._ She thought. And besides, she'd used her lucky charm before without Chat Noir present. Maybe it would be okay.

Her yo-yo flashed bright white overhead. Hothead turned to look at her curiously. Then a small object dropped out of the sky into her hands. It took her a second, in her panicked state, to realize that the strange jumble of wood and rubber was a toy slingshot.

 _What am I going to do with this?_ She wondered, looking around.

Hothead was still watching her curiously. Gabriel was still pressing Adrien against the wall with his back. Adrien was staring at her with wide eyes, looking more terrified than ever.

Ladybug clutched the slingshot in her fist and darted over to Gabriel, right under Hothead's surprised gaze. "Mind if I borrow these?" She asked, snatching the shiny cuff links off of his shirt sleeves. Gabriel said nothing, he just trembled slightly while Hothead growled and puffed on his cigar, trying to build up his energy.

"Thanks. This'll just take a moment." She placed the cuff links into the pouch of her slingshot, drew the rubber strap taut, and fired them right at Hothead's face.

Hothead stumbled back a step and slapped his rock hands over his nose as though he'd been stung by a bee. He shook his head and pawed at his face. Then he tried jamming one of his fingers up into his nose, but the digit was much too large for the task.

With a cuff link firmly wedged in each of his nostrils, Hothead had no choice but to open his mouth to take a breath. When he did, the cigar came tumbling out from between his teeth and Ladybug instantly smashed it with her yo-yo.

Dark mist oozed out of the pieces and coagulated into the familiar form of a black butterfly. Ladybug opened her yo-yo, cast it toward the broken cigar, and caught the evil insect the moment it left the ground. Then she drew her yo-yo in and released the now white butterfly. "Bye bye little butterfly," she murmured. Then she cast the slingshot into the air and shouted, "Miraculous Ladybug!" A swarm of magical ladybugs flew through the air, transforming everything back to the way it was before the attack, and there was a lot to change this time. Melted roadways and broken electrical lines were mended. Shattered windows were made whole. Cars and buildings were repaired. People were healed and brought back to life. Glowing molten lava vanished, leaving the streets pleasantly cool again. And the villain transformed back to flesh and blood and shrank to his normal size.

Gabriel relaxed and stepped away from his son. "Thank you Ladybug. You saved our lives. You saved my son. Thank you." His voice actually sounded relieved and sincere. Wherever his faults, Ladybug believed that the man must truly care about his son.

"It's what I do," she smiled in response. Her earrings beeped a warning, her time was running out.

She looked at Adrien, who still seemed to be concerned. "Are you okay?" She asked.

"Oh, me?" Adrien asked. "Yeah. I'm fine. I'm kind of surprised Chat Noir wasn't here, though. Doesn't he always turn up eventually?"

Her smile faltered. "Yeah, when he can. Something must have kept him today. I'd better go make sure this guy is okay, too," she said, indicating the man behind her. The poor guy was still hunched over on the pavement and breathing heavily from his ordeal.

"Well, Ladybug," the voice of Gabriel Agesete followed her. "Maybe you don't need Chat Noir after all. You seemed to hold your own tonight pretty well without him."

Ladybug paused halfway to the crumpled man and turned to face Gabriel. "No," she answered. "That's just it. I really do need Chat Noir. I took a big risk working alone tonight. And I'll probably still pay for it. But it was worth the risk to save you two."

She heard a movement on the street in the direction of the defeated villain.

Behind Gabriel, Adrien's eyes widened in horror. He shoved his father aside and leapt forward.

Everything seemed to happen in slow motion. Gabriel stumbled aside, looking at his son with a shocked expression. Adrien leapt ahead, like he was planning to tackle Ladybug to the ground. Ladybug was opening her mouth to ask what was wrong, while turning to look over her shoulder.

Then, at the same instant, something crashed into her from behind while Adrien collided with her from the front. There was the bright glint of a long blade, a spurt of hot blood, and the three of them collapsed together on the ground.


	25. Chapter 25

Everything was a jumble of confusion for a few seconds while the three of them struggled wildly together. The man lost hold of his knife and resorted to punching Ladybug with his fists. His feeble attempts to hurt her might as well have been a friendly pat on the back for all the harm they did. But she knew his attack wouldn't feel so gentle to Adrien, so Ladybug did her best to shield him with her body.

Ladybug twisted around, wedging herself between the two men, and found the blade of a long knife. She grabbed it and flung it away from the tussle. Then she got her bearings and saw the strangely familiar man lifting his fist to punch her in the face again while she crouched over Adrien. Irritated, she shoved him away with one hand and he flew across the street, hit his head on the wall of a neighboring building, and slumped to the ground, unconscious.

She examined the former villain's features for a moment, then remembered where she'd seen him before. He was one of the men who she and Chat had caught burglarizing a jewelry store the night before graduation, the larger of the two. His thin companion was the man who had shot Chat Noir after the Museum robbery, and who had been killed by the police moments later. That must have been this man's brother.

"Wow, that was a wild ride. Are you okay?" Ladybug looked down at Adrien, expecting him to be smiling up at her, or looking at the unconscious man with recognition, or perhaps frowning at her for having defeated the villain without him. But Adrien was not doing any of those things. He was lying still on the street, skin pale in the lamplight.

"Adrien?" Ladybug gasped.

His breathing was shallow and rapid and he was grimacing in pain and clutching his abdomen, his hands were covered with glistening wet blood which gushed darkly from between his fingers. It looked like someone had dumped a bucket of dark red paint on him.

"Oh, my god! Adrien!"

"L...Ladybug..." he whimpered feebly.

"Adrien!" Gabriel's panicked voice rang through the alleyway as he sprinted to his son's side.

Adrien was looking paler by the second, his face taking on a sickly greenish hue. His breathing shuddered and he coughed weakly.

"Call the hospital!" Ladybug ordered. "Let them know I'm bringing your son in for emergency treatment. I should be able to get him there in less than a minute, so hurry!"

"Wait, Ladybug! Take him to Saint-Louis Hospital!"

"But that's farther away!"

"HDH is going to be swamped right now with all the burn victims being discharged! They will see him faster at Saint-Louis. Don't argue. GO NOW!"

Gabriel turned away, whipped out his phone, and began dialing. He was right, of course. The nearest hospital would be swarming with burn victims who had just moments ago been healed by her miraculous power. It would be chaos in there.

Ladybug gingerly lifted Adrien into her arms. He gritted his teeth and moaned in pain.

"I'm sorry. This is probably going to really hurt," she murmured. Then she shifted his weight to her left arm, cast her yo-yo, and pulled them into the air.

They flew over the streets together, Adrien whimpered slightly a few times when she had to land and change direction, but he didn't say anything. Ladybug spoke to him the whole way, trying to keep his attention or perhaps distract him from the pain. She didn't really pay attention to what she was saying, as long as she was saying something. As though by keeping a monologue running she could keep him with her. It would be rude to die while she was talking to him.

"I'm sorry I didn't wait for you, Adrien. I wasn't really planning on capturing the akuma, you know. I was just hoping to get the villain off of you two so you could get away. It just sort of happened. Why did you have to go jumping in like that when he attacked me... sorry, have to jump down here... He might have hurt me, sure, but not nearly as bad as he hurt you. You know our suits make us pretty much impervious. What could a knife have done to Ladybug? ...just one more jump here, we're almost there... And now you're hurt again and have to go to the hospital. I'm really getting tired of carrying your bloody body through the streets, you know. You should stop getting hurt all the time."

"Ladybug?" It wasn't Adrien's voice that spoke. It was a smaller and very worried sounding voice. A small, black, cat-like head poked out of Adrien's pocket. "I don't think he's awake anymore."

Ladybug paused for a fraction of a second on the roof of a building to pull the pins out of her bun and let her hair fall to her shoulders. "Hide in my hair, Plagg. We can't let the doctors see you. And I think they're probably going to strip him once he's inside."

Plagg's eyes welled with tears, but he obeyed, floating out of Adrien's pocket and nestling into her hair while she swung them down the last hundred meters to the emergency entrance of the hospital.

A group of doctors and nurses was waiting for them by the ambulance entrance. They waved ladybug over and helped her lay Adrien on the cot, then immediately wheeled him through the wide double doors.

"What happened?" one of them asked. "His father called and said he'd been stabbed and needed emergency surgery."

"He was attacked by a man with a long knife... It looked like maybe thirty centimeters long," she held her hands apart to show the length of the blade. "He was stabbed just below his ribs on his right side."

"Thank you, Ladybug. We'll take it from here."

"Wait!" Ladybug cried and the nurse looked back at her. Ladybug's earring's beeped one more warning. "I...I'll let his girlfriend know where he is. Where should I tell her to go?"

"She'll have to check in at the front desk. They can tell her where the waiting room is from there."

Ladybug nodded once, cast her yo-yo, and flew through the air. She had less than a minute remaining before she would transform back, not nearly enough time to get back to her own house, but Adrien's apartment was much closer. So she swung over the rooftops, arced around the tallest buildings, alighted on Adrien's balcony, and entered his bedroom just as her transformation lifted.

Tikki flew out of her earring and drifted weakly toward the ground, like a dry leaf falling from a tree. Marinette caught her in her shaking hands. "I'll find you some food first," she whispered, stepping toward the bedroom door.

"Wait, Marinette," Plagg chirped. He flew to the wall that separated Adrien's room from Nino's and pressed his ear to it, listening. "Okay, he's not there. He must have a gig tonight."

"Thanks, Plagg. I'm not thinking very clearly right now."

"We understand," Tikki sighed weakly.

"All right, food first." Marinette hurried to the kitchen and dug around in the cabinets until she found a box of cookies. She opened it and brought it into Adrien's bedroom, then she rummaged through his clothes until she found a V-neck t-shirt and a pair of shorts which wouldn't look too big on her. She could pull it off, she thought. And, anyway, she really didn't care about her clothes. She just wanted to look normal enough to avoid too much speculation.

She washed off the blood in the shower, bringing her own outfit in with her to rinse the blood out of the fabric. She was thinking sensibly enough to know that she would have to clean her clothes if she wanted to avoid anyone learning her secret identity. The news helicopters had seen Ladybug with Adrien when he was stabbed. If she was discovered with his blood all over her clothes, it would be impossible to avoid discovery. So, while she cleaned herself she also focused on working the blood out of her dress and jacket.

When she was finished, she dressed in Adrien's clean clothes and stashed her own under his bed, laid out on a towel to dry.

The two kwamis watched her in silence, patiently waiting for her to be ready. Marinette looked down at the them, their enormous, expressive eyes shining up at her plaintively. Plagg was shedding silent sparkling tears and appeared to be past words.

Marinette's heart was still thundering in her chest, her hands were still shaking, her stomach was twisted in a knot so painful it felt like she had been stabbed, too.

"Tikki... I'm so scared. What if I go back and... and he's..."

"He's not dead, Marinette," Tikki assured her, solemnly.

"He isn't... but, how do you know for sure?"

"Because Plagg is still here. He can only be here if Adrien is wearing the ring still. If the ring is removed, or if no living person is wearing it, Plagg will disappear."

"Please, Marinette!" Plagg begged. "Please let's hurry!"

"Yeah... Let's go." She opened up her bag and the kwamis dove into it together. Then she hurried through the door, down the stairs, and out into the cool night air.

When Marinette arrived at the hospital, the atmosphere felt so calm and peaceful it was surreal. The brightly lit entrance, beautiful artwork, and indoor landscaping seemed indecently cheerful. Everyone speaking in hushed tones or calmly making their way in and out, as though Adrien's life was not in dire jeopardy, seemed wrong, insensitive. They should be running around in panic, or openly weeping. Not acting like this was any other night.

Marinette tremulously approached the front desk and asked about Adrien. The woman behind the counter told her to check in on the clipboard and gave her directions to the place where she could wait for an update on his condition, a small room adjacent to the intensive care unit. Marinette thanked the woman numbly and started walking. She knew enough about hospitals to understand that only the most critical patients were sent to the ICU, and many never made it out again. The polished white tiled floor shone underfoot. Overhead she could see stars through the glass ceiling. Palm trees lined the walkway along with tables and chairs where visitors could sit and relax. She might have been strolling along a street lined with cafés, but for the high walls on either side, the echoing of subdued voices, and escalators leading to upper levels.

When she finally arrived at the waiting room for the ICU, trembling and feeling sick to her stomach, Marinette fell into a chair and stared at the floor. The image of Adrien's hands, blood oozing between his fingers, rushed to her mind and she stood up again. She couldn't sit still, not when his life was in danger. She paced the room nervously, biting her lip, looking through windows in an attempt to catch a glimpse of Adrien.

After a few minutes the door opened and a balding man wearing blue scrubs and spectacles walked in. "Are you a relative of Adrien Agreste?" He asked.

"I'm his girlfriend. His father should be here soon, too. How is he?"

"I'm afraid he's suffered a severe laceration to his liver. We've rushed him into surgery, and our surgeon will do everything he can to stop the bleeding. At this point, I'm afraid we can't predict how things will go until we get a better look at what we're dealing with."

"He's bleeding to death?!"

"There are many large blood vessels in the liver. But it is often possible to stop the bleeding. And, as I said, the surgeon will do everything he can to help him. Someone will come update you if anything changes. In the meantime, there are refreshments available on the back table while you wait."

The man left. Marinette resumed her restless pacing. She'd thought an update would answer questions and help her feel better, but she only felt worse now. They _might_ be able to stop the bleeding? They can't predict how things will go? How serious was it? Again, the image of gushing blood flowing between Adrien's fingers rushed to her mind. Marinette covered her face with her hands in a futile attempt to block it out and wept.

Then suddenly she realized how late it was and that she hadn't gone home when she was supposed to. Her parents must be worried about her. She fumbled with her phone and finally dialed the right number.

"Marinette? Are you okay? Where are you?" her father answered, in a stricken voice.

Marinette's voice tightened and she almost couldn't speak. "Dad... it's Adrien."

"Adrien? What has he done?!"

"Nothing, Dad. There's been an accident. We're at the hospital..." she sobbed and couldn't continue.

There was a short pause. "Which hospital? We'll be right there!"

"Saint-Louis Hospital. I'm in the waiting room by the ICU," she managed to say. "He's in surgery now, but... they say he's bleeding... and, and they're trying to stop it but..."

"We're on our way. We'll be right there, sweetheart, okay?"

"Okay," she sniffed.

Marinette hung up and then helped herself to a handful of tissues from the side table to clean up her face a bit. The waiting room felt ominously empty and still after the phone conversation with her father. Somehow she'd thought that getting Adrien to the hospital would have delivered immediate results, almost like her miraculous power. Doctors were supposed to heal people, but it didn't feel like he was any closer to being okay now than when he was lying on the street beneath her. And calling her dad had felt similar. Parents were supposed to protect their children, to make things better when they went wrong. She knew that her father couldn't always fix everything, but deep down inside her was a little girl who still felt like he could, and had hoped that once she heard his voice everything would be okay again. But it wasn't.

The door opened again and Marinette's eyes flashed up, but this time it wasn't a nurse entering from the ICU, but another visitor coming in to wait with her in the bright and lonely room.

Gabriel Agreste came through the door, his long bony face haggard, his eyes reddened, but he shed no tears. He slowly paced the length of the room in silence and sat on a chair next to Marinette.

"Has there been any update on my son's condition?" He asked in a hollow voice.

"They've taken him into surgery to try to stop the bleeding," Marinette answered quietly. "They say he was stabbed in the liver."

Gabriel moaned and leaned forward, resting his face in his hands. Marinette thought he might be crying, but when he finally sat back up his eyes, though weary and red, were still dry. He gazed at her with a strange mixture of grief and resignation, then sighed.

"I was always afraid something like this would happen. He never believed it was possible, but... it is a father's job to protect his child... and I've failed."

Even though her own heart felt torn in two, Marinette could still see the anguish in Mr. Agreste's eyes. "It isn't your fault. There's no way you could have prevented this."

"But it is. This is all my fault. You must know that."

Marinette almost forgot her own grief as she stared into Gabriel Agreste's face. Was he confessing to what she had long suspected but could never prove?

"Yes, it is," he continued. "And no matter how much you might hate me for it, you can never hate me as much as I hate myself right now. I am the one who prevented him from leaving tonight to join you. I am the one who chose a man who would be a danger to you even without superpowers, though I never thought he would pull a knife on you." His jaw tightened as he spoke the last sentence.

Marinette's mouth went dry. Her voice stopped working. She stared, wide-eyed, at Gabriel. Then finally she managed to move her lips. "A-are you saying...?" she breathed.

"Yes, Ladybug. I am Hawkmoth."


	26. Chapter 26

Marinette stared at Gabriel in shock. A hundred different things rushed through her mind at once, each thought fighting for the forefront, demanding to be put into action. She should make a run for it. She should punch him in the face. She should shout, 'spots on,' and take him out right then and there. She should call the police. She should scream curses at him.

How could he have done this? How could he have betrayed his own son so completely? And not only Adrien, but everyone in Paris. Was there a single citizen in the entire city who had not been hurt by Hawkmoth's evil akumas? Adrien loved his father, and had wanted for years to be a part of his life. And this man had let him down. He'd shut Adrien out of his life, not for work, as she had always assumed, but to spend his time as an evil supervillain. And why? Because he wanted her and Chat's miraculouses. He wanted a power that wasn't rightfully his, to fulfill some twisted personal desire. He obviously only thought about himself. The lives of people around him, even the precious life of his son who loved him, was nothing to his own selfishness.

Gabriel regarded her silently, his expression unfathomable, watching the cascade of emotions wash one by one over her face. He didn't attempt to justify or excuse his actions. He simply waited, as though expecting her to attack him either physically or verbally, and welcoming the onslaught.

"You... _You?!_ You did this?" She finally breathed.

Gabriel swallowed, and finally a single, solitary tear trickled down his cheek. "Yes...I did. This is my fault."

"And you knew who we were all along?"

"No," he shook his head sadly. "I only discovered that my son had the cat miraculous after he was shot at the museum. His head wound looked nothing like the result of a bicycle accident. And it was all too coincidental that he would be injured in the same place at the same time as Chat Noir. As for you, I had strong suspicions after the last news report, but I finally knew for certain that you were Ladybug the moment I entered this room."

"But... how?"

"You disappeared during the fashion show. And only Ladybug and I, besides the hospital staff, knew that Adrien was being brought here. Ladybug could possibly have told you where to find him, I suppose. But... You being Ladybug is much simpler than all the convoluted explanations necessary for you to be two separate people. If you weren't Ladybug, then Adrien would have to be romantically involved with two different girls, one for each of his personas, which is highly improbable given his character. You, Marinette, would have coincidentally found a reason to abandon the fashion show, and your date, moments after my last villain made the news. Ladybug would have had to have known where to find you, which appears to have been my son's apartment, given your new attire. And, of course, you would have needed to change your clothes for some reason other than because they'd been bloodied from carrying my injured son to the hospital..." He broke off and didn't seem able to say any more.

This had been Marinette's chief concern with keeping her identity a secret. She had always worried that her innumerable excuses would pile up to the point that her friends and family would conclude that she must be Ladybug. It seemed ironic that the one person who actually did figure it out was someone she had barely even met.

Right now, though, even Hawkmoth knowing her identity didn't seem that important anymore. Not while Adrien was in emergency surgery to save his life. Not while Gabriel looked so distraught. Here she was, staring him in the face, and the man looked weak, tragic, vulnerable. Marinette's heart was racing, but not with fear. She tried desperately to put her emotions to words or actions, but she seemed cruelly frozen in place. If this were a fight, she would have no trouble knowing what to say or do. But with her enemy staring at her, helpless and weeping, and making no move to attack, she hesitated. And with a sickening wrench of her heart, she realized that she pitied the man, even as she despised him.

A small movement and a soft, muffled, squeak from her bag caught her attention. Marinette gasped and looked down, desperately hoping that it didn't mean what she thought it did.

"What is it?" Gabriel asked.

"It's nothing...I..." She stopped, considering the situation. Finally, she decided that it didn't matter anymore. Gabriel knew their identities. So it was pointless to keep the Tikki and Plagg a secret. "It's the kwamis. They're in my bag," she finished.

Marinette opened her bag and looked in. Only Tikki remained inside, her little mouth trembling, tears sparkling down her cheeks.

"Tikki? What happened? Where's Plagg?"

"Marinette..." Tikki choked. She flew out of the bag and hugged Marinette's cheek. "He's gone. Plagg is gone. I'm so sorry! He felt it, at the end. He knew his connection was weakening. He couldn't do anything to stop it." She broke down in soft, squeaky sobs.

"What is the meaning of this?" Gabriel demanded, his voice quavering.

"Don't you understand anything?!" Marinette fumed, bursting into tears at the same time, forgetting that her kwami had only recently explained what it meant to her. "Someone, a _living_ person, has to be wearing a miraculous for their kwami to appear. If Plagg has disappeared, that means that Adrien... he's..." She choked on her words, unable to get them all out.

Gabriel paled, his lips went white. "No..."

Marinette couldn't stand it anymore. She stood and stalked to the other side of the room so she and Tikki could cry in peace.

After what felt like hours, but was actually only a few minutes, the door opened again. Tikki darted back into Marinette's bag and a man entered. Like the previous visitor, this man was also wearing blue scrubs, but he was younger, thinner, and had a full head of black hair.

"Ah, Mr. Agreste. Miss Dupain-Cheng. I am doctor Moreau."

"What is it? Where is my son? I want to see him!" Gabriel demanded.

"Of course, sir. Of course." The doctor looked down, uncomfortably, for a moment before continuing. "But first, please allow me to update you on what has happened."

"I saw what happened. I was there when it happened! A lunatic stabbed my son!" Color was rising in Gabriel's cheeks.

"Wait, let him speak," Marinette said, walking over to them. "How is he?" She asked. She already knew the answer, even if it didn't feel real. It actually felt more like this was a dream, a horrible nightmare from which she would wake any moment. Perhaps she really would wake up soon, in Adrien's bed, her head resting on his chest, listening to his heartbeat.

"I'm afraid we weren't able to stop the bleeding," doctor Moreau said. "The damage to Adrien's liver was too severe. He lost a lot of blood very quickly. We tried everything we could. He received three liters of donor blood, but lost it as fast as we could give it to him. Eventually, with lack of oxygen, his heart stopped. We attempted to resuscitate him, but we were not successful. I'm very, very sorry. Adrien has died."

The words hung in the air like a dark, poisonous mist, making it difficult to breathe. Marinette couldn't believe what she'd just heard even though she had been expecting it. It was impossible. There must be some mistake. Adrien couldn't really be dead. And even if he was badly injured, she would be able to save him. She was Ladybug. She carried the power of creation around in her purse. Surely there was something she could do, something she just hadn't thought of yet.

Next to her, Gabriel was standing frozen in place. His face was pale and he swayed slightly, reeling from the news. She saw another tear escape his eye and trickle down his cheek.

"If you will come with me, I'll take you to him," the Doctor continued, gesturing to the door. Marinette numbly walked forward, not even sure how she got her limbs to move the right way. She followed the doctor through the ICU, past heavy and expensive looking hospital equipment, past empty cots and draping curtains, through the hum of machinery and beeping of monitors and the smell of harsh chemicals.

Finally, they entered a silent room with a solitary cot, upon which a body was draped with a clean blue hospital sheet. Adrien's pale face was exposed, his eyes were closed. He could have been sleeping, but he wasn't. Marinette could tell he wasn't. The body looked like Adrien, but it was too still, too pale. It wasn't a living person anymore.

"I'll give you a few moments with him. Is there anyone else who should be called? Other family members, perhaps?" The doctor asked, handing a brown bag to Gabriel which contained the bloody clothes Adrien had been wearing when he'd arrived.

"No... no, his mother is no longer with us. It was just us..."

The doctor nodded sadly and left. They were alone with Adrien's body.

Marinette stepped forward, touched the blanket timidly, then burst into tears again and fell to her knees. "How can he be gone? This isn't right. It's not fair! Why did this happen? Adrien... Why did it have to be you? It should have been me. I'm the one who was stupid tonight."

"I didn't want things to end up this way, Marinette." Gabriel murmured from behind her. "But it's my fault, not yours. I thought I could bring his mother back. I wanted her back so desperately... but I lost him instead."

"What do you mean?" Marinette sobbed angrily, scowling at him.

"I wanted the miraculouses so that I could save my wife, Emilie. We lost her... I lost her in a horrible accident. I couldn't bring her back on my own. But now... it's all over. It's too late."

"You can't just use the miraculouses to get what you want. There's always an exchange, you have to give something in return."

"Do you think I don't know that?" he snapped, irritably. "I have been studying the miraculouses for years, I knew what I was doing. And I was prepared to make whatever payment was necessary."

Marinette bit her lip. She would have told him that the payment was not monetary in nature, but she didn't want to start arguing with him. Not now. Not by Adrien's deathbed. She stood and walked timidly up to the head of the cot. She brushed a lock of blonde hair away from Adrien's forehead and kissed his cheek. "I loved you, Adrien Agreste," she whispered, still sobbing softly. "You were the best friend and partner I could ever have hoped for. And I'll never, ever forget you."

Gabriel stepped forward and stood next to her. He stretched out his hand and tenderly stroked Adrien's cheek. "Goodbye, my son. I'm so sorry," his voice tightened. "If you ever see your mother, tell her I love her." He bent down and pressed his forehead to Adrien's, took a deep breath, then slowly stood back up. "You've always been a good friend to him," he said, looking at Marinette. "I didn't appreciate that before, but I see it now. And a good friend is what he needed most, especially after the loss of his mother."

Marinette didn't see it happen. His movement was as fast as lightning. One moment, Gabriel Agreste was standing next to her, the next moment she was watching him run out the door and her ears were stinging.

"Wh...what?" Confused, she blinked and reached up to feel her ears, then realized the alarming truth. Her earrings were gone! He'd stolen her miraculous!

Still dazed and confused, she lifted the edge of the sheet to look at Adrien's right hand. It was bare. His ring was missing! But it wasn't really missing, she realized. The bag that Gabriel was carrying, the one with all of Adrien's clothes... the ring was probably in there as well!

Marinette cursed and dashed out of the room, not sure what she was going to do, but she knew she had to do something. Without her miraculous, she was just a clumsy, skinny eighteen year old girl going up against a full grown man. What chance would she have against him?

She made it back into the waiting room just in time to see the door on the opposite wall slam shut. Her parents were standing in the room, looking terrified and bewildered.

"Marinette? What's going on?" her mother gasped.

"Sorry, Mom. I'll explain later!" Marinette exclaimed as she raced through the door after Gabriel.

She followed glimpses of his heels darting round corners, the sound of his rapid footfalls, and the shouts of people bowled over through the hallways, until finally she rounded a corner and found that she had lost him completely. Marinette stopped and listened, straining her ears for any sound. She knew she hadn't been that far behind him. He must be right around the far corner, or behind one of the doors lining the walls. She trotted forward, still listening. When she came to the turn, she looked around and saw another very long hallway lined with doors, but no Gabriel.

"Damn it!"

"Are you lost, Miss?" A young female nurse carrying a clipboard asked.

"No, not really." Marinette panted. "I'm looking for someone. He ran down this hallway, and he's not supposed to be here. But I lost him."

"Oh," the woman thought for a second. "I heard someone running down at that end," she pointed back the way Marinette had already come, "but then it stopped. I think he went into the bathroom?"

"Thanks!"

Marinette ran back down the hall toward the men's restroom, hoping beyond hope that she wouldn't be too late. Gabriel had already had a full twenty seconds alone and undisturbed with both miraculouses. That was more than enough time for Ladybug to transform and use her Lucky Charm. How long would it take him to activate both the earrings and the ring? How much time after that to do whatever he wanted to do with them?

She approached the door and raised her hand to turn the lever, and that's when everything suddenly changed.

First, the ground lurched under her feet and she felt a deep shockwave pass through her body. She was knocked to the ground, gasping for air. The electricity in the building stopped working and everything went pitch black for a second. In the distance, some alarms sounded, and small flashing red LEDs indicated the exits. The hospital generators kicked into action and a few emergency lights flickered to life. But the hallway was still dark enough that Marinette, lifting her head from the floor, could see a silvery white light glowing under the door to the men's restroom.

She crawled to her feet, watching as the white light grew brighter and brighter, then she reached out again to open the door. As she pulled the door open the whole hallway was flooded with blinding light. She had to shield her eyes against it with her arm. But she squinted in and made out the appearance of a man, floating a few inches from the floor, clothed in brilliant shining garments that whipped around him as though blown by a gale force wind from beyond the world. All around him, flames of energy flickered up against his silhouette. His eyes pierced with light that seemed to be trying to burst out from within the thin shell of his body. He held his hands out in front of himself, and two glowing orbs orbited one another above them, growing faster and faster with each passing second, their dazzling path tracing a circle that seemed to shiver and spark and heat with anticipation. The center of the circle seemed to be an impenetrable void of darkness. It was like looking at a black hole surrounded by a supernova.

Gabriel looked down at Marinette and closed his eyes. "It is done," he said in a deep resonating voice.

The dark circle over his hands exploded. Marinette was knocked back again as a second wave of powerful energy burst over her. The building trembled. Her ears rang. Her head spun. And everything seemed to go black.

For a second, she wondered if she'd been knocked unconscious. Then she realized that if she was unconscious, she wouldn't be able to wonder about it. Blinking, she pushed herself up to a seated position and saw that the hospital's emergency lights were working still, and even the main lights in the hallway were beginning to flicker back to life. But her eyes were still so dazzled that everything else now looked dim.

Marinette looked back at the open restroom door and saw that it was now quite dark inside. Gabriel was on the floor, no longer dressed like some terrifyingly vengeful god, but in his usual clothes, and laying very still.

She rushed over to him and turned him over, his face was shockingly pale and his breath came weakly. He looked up at Marinette with unfocused eyes which may or may not have been able to see her. He struggled for a moment, then found the energy to speak.

"Find her... please... in Tibet...," he whispered. Then the effort of forcing the word out seemed to have been too much. He fell limp in her arms.

Marinette's first instinct was to scream for help. But she stopped herself a moment before acting on the impulse. A thought had occurred to her. She searched Gabriel's body and found her earrings and Adrien's ring in his clenched fists.

Tikki appeared the moment she clasped her earrings back in her ears. "Marinette! Take Nooroo's miraculous, too! Here!" She flitted into Gabriel's jacket pocket and brought out a tiny black brooch. "Now call for help!"

Marinette pocketed the brooch and the ring and ran out into the hallway.

"Help! Help! Please! I need a doctor here!" She screamed a loudly as she could.

Within moments hospital staff was rushing to the bathroom and performing CPR on Gabriel's body. They asked her questions, but all she could tell them was that she'd found him lying on the floor after the lights came back on. It wouldn't be safe to say any more than that. And even if she explained everything, what difference would it make? Did they have special treatment for people overcome with miraculous power? There was only one hope of saving him, and Marinette was sorely tempted to leave well enough alone. He only had himself to blame, after all.

When Gabriel's body was carried out and rushed back to the ICU, Marinette ducked back into the women's restroom.

"Tikki," she said, in a stony voice.

"Marinette?" Tikki floated weakly out of her pocket, her whole tiny body trembling.

"Is there any way we can save Gabriel?" She had to force the words out.

Tikki's eyes widened in shock. "No! Marinette! No! Please don't!"

"You mean we can, but you don't want to?"

"It would kill you! Don't you understand? That's what he did!"

"He traded his life?"

"Yes, he did," Tikki answered somberly. "He's gone. There's nothing we can do for him."


	27. Chapter 27

Marinette slowly made her way back down the hallway. She had the vague idea that she should return to the ICU waiting room, but her mind kept wandering, causing her to forget where she was trying to go and why. She had gotten lost in the large, maze-like hospital during the chase, and she was too much in shock to bother trying to figure out where she was. She was so overwhelmed by everything that had happened that she couldn't process it all. So she found herself numbly wandering the halls, drifting in a sort of daze.

A display of pink hearts affixed to the door of the maternity ward caught her attention. From a lifetime ago, it seemed, the meaning of the paper hearts drifted back to her. Had it really been only a few days since Alya had written that blog? Had it only been a few hours ago that Adrien had kissed her goodbye and called her 'bugaboo' one last time? And now he was dead. And his father was dead, too. Gabriel had traded his life to bring his wife back, and tasked Marinette with finding her for him. And of course she would do it, but not for Gabriel. She would go to Tibet and find Adrien's mother, if she could, because it would be something Adrien would have done. Something he would have wanted her to help him with.

A knot that had been gradually growing in the pit of Marinette's stomach threatened to force it's way out. Marinette rushed into the nearest bathroom, darted into a stall, and retched in the toilet. After a few minutes, exhausted, covered in a cold sweat, and trembling, she rested her head on her forearm against the edge of the toilet and closed her eyes. A light touch on her cheek told her that Tikki was there. But neither of them spoke for a while.

"I'm sorry, Tikki," Marinette finally whispered. "You're probably starving. I should find some food for you."

"I'll be fine. Don't worry about me," the little red kwami answered with a sigh. "Are you going to be okay, Marinette?"

Marinette thought about it for a moment before answering. "I don't know," she said. "Right now I really don't know."

She got up and went to the sink to wash her face and rinse out her mouth. Something about going through the motions of cleaning up was comforting to her. It felt almost like she was at home in the morning, getting ready for the day. A normal day filled with normal worries, like how would she deal with Chloé, would she pass her chemistry test, what new sketches would she add to her portfolio, and would she finally manage to get Adrien's attention.

"Shouldn't we be getting back to the waiting room, Marinette? Your parents were there and I think that..."

"My parents!" Marinette gasped, remembering that they were waiting for her. "What am I going to tell them?"

"I don't know. Maybe the truth, more or less."

"That Gabriel Agreste stole my earrings? And I had to chase him through the hospital to get them back?"

"Well, maybe not quite that. But you could say that he seemed so distraught that you were worried he would do something to hurt himself, so you were trying to stop him."

After thinking it through for a couple of minutes, Marinette decided that this excuse was probably the best she would be able to come up with, and she really should get back before her parents started to worry too much about her.

It didn't take long to find the ICU now that she was in a somewhat calmer frame of mind. As she made her way there, she noticed more pink and red heart decorations displayed throughout the hospital. Many of them had the initials "LB + CN" inscribed on them. The sight of them filled her with sorrow and loss. She wondered how she would break the news of Adrien's death to Alya and Nino. She didn't feel up for it at all. Hopefully the doctors had already filled her parents in so she wouldn't have to.

Marinette stopped outside the waiting room and took a deep breath before turning the handle and pushing the door open.

The first thing she noticed when she entered was a small group of people standing together near the opposite door, her parents and two men wearing blue scrubs. The second thing she noticed was that they all seemed to be rather cheerful.

Everyone turned to look at her when the door opened. Her parents smiled.

"There you are, Marinette! We were wondering where you'd run off to," her father said. He and her mother moved aside to reveal a young man whose blue scrubs looked a size too big for him. The man smiled incredulously at her while running a hand through his golden blonde hair, his emerald green eyes filled with laughter.

"Hey, princess, I was wondering when you'd show up," Adrien chuckled.

— A half hour earlier.—

Adrien opened his eyes and saw a brightly lit ceiling above him. He hadn't been asleep, he'd simply opened his eyes. It was as though he had blinked and found himself lying down in an unfamiliar place without even the slightest trace of drowsiness. Like he'd been unexpectedly teleported through space and time.

He blinked and looked around, getting his bearings. He seemed to be lying on a narrow and uncomfortable sort of bed in a bright room with white walls and ceiling. The long halogen lightbulbs overhead shone blindingly in his face. And he was chilly, too, with only a thin sheet over his naked body. Where had his clothes gone? He sat up and pulled the sheet around himself for what little warmth it offered and examined his surroundings further. He decided that he must be in a hospital room. This realization jogged his memory, and recent events rushed back to him.

A man had been about to stab Ladybug, and Adrien had jumped out impulsively to defend her, like the reckless fool he was. He hadn't considered that she was protected by her suit and the knife would have probably slid right off the magical fabric. And he hadn't even paused to think that his own flesh wasn't protected by anything except some very expensive cotton and silk designer clothes. So of course he'd been stabbed. He remembered the invasive sensation of the blade as it sank deep into his abdomen, slicing through things inside him that felt very important. And he vaguely remembered Ladybug carrying him through the city, each rooftop landing a jolt of agony through his body. And now here he was, sitting naked and alone on a hospital bed, but otherwise unharmed.

How had she managed it? Adrien chuckled to himself while he felt his side, confirming that the wound indeed had vanished. Ladybug had to have figured something out, some way of healing him. He'd gathered, from some of his conversations with Master Fu, that there were yet untapped powers in their miraculouses, abilities they had not yet learned. Maybe Adrien had gotten himself in enough trouble that the Master agreed to teach Marinette how to use one of those new mysterious powers. Maybe she could actually heal people?

Adrien ran his fingers through his hair and chuckled again, feeling the smooth painless surface where the bruise from his gunshot wound used to be. He was completely whole again. He felt absolutely great! He looked himself over and tested his body, taking inventory. Every single injury had been erased. Not just his stab wound and bruised head, but his aching shoulder and thighs from working a little too hard at fencing practice, the small cut on his index finger from peeling potatoes, the lingering weariness after having lost so much blood when he'd been shot, the slight ache that had been developing in his back tooth, every little inconsequential complaint that he had barely even noticed had been cured.

"Wow," he murmured to himself. "This is great!" Then he slid off the cot and opened the door to find someone who could help him find his things, especially his ring. He didn't like the idea of his miraculous sitting in a locker or in a box somewhere unguarded.

Adrien gathered the sheet around his body and hesitantly stepped into the large room outside the one where he'd been left. All around he saw large beeping machines, privacy curtains, tubes, tanks, and other mysterious equipment. He approached the first person he saw, a dark man in scrubs who was talking to someone through a door.

"See you tomorrow night!" The man was saying.

"Um, excuse me?"

He turned and his eyebrows lifted in surprise at seeing Adrien, barefoot and clad only in a sheet.

"I don't think I need to be in here anymore," Adrien said. "Ladybug must have healed me. Can I get my clothes back?"

"You lost your clothes? That's, um, sorry, I'll help you get squared away. Which bed were you in?" He pulled out a tablet and started tapping on it. "Do you remember who admitted you?"

"No, I don't remember coming here. And I was just back in there," Adrien indicated the closed off room.

"You...you were in _there?_ "

"Yeah?"

"On the bed?"

"Um...yeah. And I'd really like to find my clothes."

The man took a deep breath and blew it out through his lips. "I don't think I'll ever get used to this," he muttered. "Okay, then." He motioned for Adrien to follow him back to the room. "I can't promise that your clothes will be wearable when we find them. People who wake up in _this_ room sometimes have had their clothes cut off of them. But I do have an extra set of scrubs you can borrow."

"Thanks, I appreciate it. It's just... I had a ring that was kind of sentimental to me, you know? I'd like to find it."

"I understand. Now where did they put...?" The man was looking around the room for something, and apparently wasn't finding it. "Here, let me see," he said finally, tapping on his tablet again. "What was your name?"

"Adrien Agreste."

The man looked up with a smile. "No kidding! Really? You're that guy in all those commercials and posters?"

"That's me," Adrien smiled and shrugged.

"I'm Doctor Sekibo. But you can call me Amare. I'm the cardiologist here," he said holding out a hand to Adrien, who shook it, feeling awkward in his sheet. Amare tapped a few more times on his tablet, "Ah, your things were handed over to someone already. Next of kin? Yeah... just let me see who was signed in to the waiting room, I'll call the front desk." He went to the phone on the wall and dialed a number while Adrien processed what he'd just heard. 'Next of kin?' Did that mean...? His stomach flipped uncomfortably.

"Okay, thanks... No, that's all," Amare hung up the phone. "A girl named Marinette Dupain-Cheng was signed in to the waiting room. Your things were probably given to her."

Adrien felt himself relax a little. But he still had questions. "Listen, what do you mean, 'next of kin'? And why might my clothes have been cut off? And then given to Marinette? If I was so badly hurt, why was I in here all alone?"

"Well, this is a bit unusual," the Doctor answered, offering him a set of blue scrubs from the closet. "They aren't supposed to start processing death reports until after Hawkmoth's villains are defeated. You never know when someone will be coming back to life if there's an attack happening. It was probably just someone new here who didn't know our procedures."

"DEATH report?!"

"Yeah. It's pretty creepy, actually," Doctor Sekibo nodded with a crooked smile. "One minute we'll have a room full of bodies all set to go to the morgue. The next minute they all start waking up, just as healthy as they were when they got up that morning. It really freaked me out the first time it happened."

"So... I really was _dead_?"

Amare tapped on his tablet some more and then showed Adrien the screen. It was a medical chart with Adrien's name at the top and all sorts of information that he didn't bother reading. In one corner the word "DECEASED" stood out to him. And the cause of death: "EXSANGUINATION."

"Don't worry," Amare said, with an easy smile. "It'll all get sorted out really fast. We've got the whole process streamlined here. My shift is over now, but I'll go get the paperwork for you and show you where the waiting room is. Maybe your friend will still be there."

Adrien changed into the borrowed scrubs while Doctor Sekibo fetched the necessary forms. He felt a hundred times better once he was dressed, even if the scrubs were a little baggy on him. And he started to come to terms with the fact that he'd died and been brought back. It freaked him out to think about it, but he realized that he was by no means the first person it had happened to. Even Nino and Alya had gone through something similar at the movie theater.

When Doctor Sekibo returned he led Adrien back to the waiting room, where Adrien was surprised to find Marinette's parents, but no Marinette.

"Oh, Adrien! Are you all right?" Sabine exclaimed when she saw him.

"Marinette told us you'd been in some sort of accident," her husband added. "That you were in emergency surgery?"

"I was, but I'm fine now," Adrien said with a shrug. "I think Ladybug must have healed me somehow." _No need to tell them about the whole dying thing_ , Adrien thought.

"Oh, good!" Sabine sighed. "We were so worried!"

"He should be perfectly fine now, ma'am," Amare assured them. "Of course, if you feel any strange symptoms over the next few days, be sure to check in with your regular doctor. But we have never had a case of someone relapsing into injuries or illness after Ladybug has cured them."

"Ladybug sure is incredible," Mr. Dupain said with a smile and a hint of pride in his voice.

"She really is," Adrien agreed vehemently. "I wouldn't have made it out of this one if not for her." Then he looked around the room. "So, where's Marinette? I thought she was here?"

"She was," Sabine frowned. "But she ran off right when we got here. She was gone before we could get an answer out of her."

"That kind of thing happens more often than I'd like to admit," Mr. Dupain chuckled.

At that moment the door opened and Marinette stepped in, looking profoundly weary and dejected, and wearing one of Adrien's old t-shirts and pair of shorts. He had to admit, they looked cuter on her than they did on him.

"There you are, Marinette! We were wondering where you'd run off to," her father said, looking relieved.

Her parents stepped aside to let her join the group. Marinette's eyes fixed on Adrien. It took only a couple of seconds for her expression to shift from distraught to confused and then from confused to incredulous.

"Hey, princess. I was wondering when you'd show up." Adrien chuckled nervously. He fully expected her to be angry with him for getting attacked and forcing her to do whatever she'd done to save him. Whatever it had been must have been difficult, judging by her demeanor when she entered the room. He'd rarely, if ever, seen her look so weary and defeated.

"Adrien?" Marinette gasped.

Adrien smiled and held his arms open invitingly. Maybe she wouldn't be mad at him after all?

"Adrien!" She rushed past her parents and threw herself into his arms. Adrien picked her up and swung her around, laughing.

"But... what? How? How are you alive?" She asked, scrutinizing him closely when he put her down again.

It was Adrien's turn to be confused. "But didn't...? I... um, we just figured Ladybug must have done it. You know...?"

Marinette's parents were eyeing him in amazement now. They'd figured out the part about him dying.

"Happens all the time," Amare added, matter of factly. "Usually they don't announce a death until after a supervillain is defeated. That way we can be sure this kind of thing doesn't happen. I apologize on behalf of the hospital for any emotional suffering caused by the premature pronouncement of death tonight." He said the last sentence with a well-rehearsed air. Adrien wondered how many times he'd recited those words. And at the same time, he felt a strange queasiness in his stomach. It was just so hard to believe that he'd actually _died!_

"Ladybug... saved you?" Marinette breathed. Then her eyes grew suddenly wide, as though something was just occurring to her.

"Had to be her... right?" Adrien said. He was beginning to realize that something was up. Marinette was good at keeping secrets, but this fact was actually quite remarkable because she was a horrible actress. If she had really saved him, she would be playing it cool right now, lightly dismissing Adrien's brush with death, or maybe thinly concealing her anger with him for getting himself hurt again. She wouldn't think to act all distraught at first and then amazed at his recovery. This confusion was her real reaction. And if she was confused, that meant she wasn't the one who had healed him. So what had really happened?

"Um... yeah. I guess that must have been it." Marinette bit her lip. Her eyes darted around at the others in the room looking kind of panicked.

"Well, I'd better be off," Amare announced. "Gotta feed my cat. He gets mad when I'm late. Just turn those forms in at the desk before you leave." He patted Adrien's shoulder, shook hands with Marinette and her parents, and strolled out the door.

"So, what happened?" Mr. Dupain asked, staring at Adrien with unbridled curiosity.

Adrien really didn't want to relate the whole tale of how he ended up in the hospital. But it was only natural that Marinette's parents would want to know. So he took a breath and explained what happened when the villain attacked, how he'd been hunkered down in the building with his father with no idea where Marinette had been. And when the villain got close enough to be a threat to the people in the building, they'd all evacuated. But he and his father ended up being cornered together outside, right in the middle of Ladybug's fight.

His audience was captivated with his tale, watching him intently and gasping at all the right places. Sabine got misty eyed when he got to the part where the man had attacked Ladybug and he'd jumped in to protect her, getting stabbed in the process.

As he was telling his story, Adrien started to wonder where his father was. He could see the man missing birthdays, graduations, and fencing tournaments. But to not come to the hospital when Adrien had been stabbed to death? That was not something Adrien would expect. As cold and indifferent as Gabriel Agreste seemed, Adrien knew that deep down his father really did love him. He just really sucked at showing it.

When he finished telling about how he'd suddenly found himself in a hospital bed—conveniently leaving out the detail that he'd been naked—he remembered that he'd been looking for his clothes, and particularly his ring.

"So, Marinette, did they end up giving you all my things? All the stuff I was wearing when I was brought in?" he asked, casually, once his story was finished.

"Um...no..." her eyes shifted again to her parents. "They didn't give them to me."

A jolt of alarm shot through him. "Then...where? I couldn't find any of my things. My clothes, my phone, my _ring._ "

"I'm sure we can just ask someone, Adrien," Mr. Dupain said, consolingly. "And from the sound of your adventure your clothes were probably destroyed when they brought you in anyway."

"I know, that's what the doctor said. But..."

"Adrien," Marinette's timid voice pierced the air and cut off whatever Adrien had been about to say. "Your father was here. They gave your things to him."

The way she said it, like she was apologizing, like she was delivering the worst news ever, hit him hard. There was some deep, horrible significance to her words. And she was looking at him with wide liquid eyes, like she was about to start crying.

"I'm sorry, can I please speak with Marinette privately?" Adrien asked, not taking his eyes off of her.

Her parents looked at one another, hesitating for a brief moment in confusion. Then Sabine said, "Of course. We'll just wait out in the hall." She grabbed her husband's arm and pulled him out into the hallway with her.

When they were alone, Adrien sat down in one of the chairs and motioned for Marinette to sit next to him. She grabbed a cookie from the tray of refreshments first, stuffing it into her purse, and then sat down.

"I'm not even sure where to begin," she confessed. "It's all so overwhelming."

"Just start at the beginning if you have to," Adrien coaxed. "What happened after I blacked out?"

"I brought you here, of course... well, to the ambulance entrance anyway. They were waiting for us and rushed you in."

"But you were running out of time?" He pressed. "You used your lucky charm."

"Yeah. I had to get out of there. I barely had enough time to make it to your apartment. When I did, my clothes were all... well, I needed to change. So I showered and borrowed some of your clothes." She bit her lip and paused.

"I'm glad you had somewhere safe to go. And you look cute in my clothes, by the way." He chuckled and Marinette rewarded him with a small smile. "And then you came back here?" Adrien was struggling to contain his nervous impatience, but he could tell that Marinette had been through some enormous emotional ordeal, and he didn't want to push her too far.

"Before I came back... Plagg and Tikki told me something."

"Plagg was with you?"

"Oh, yeah, I was afraid he might be discovered if he stayed with you. So he came with me. Anyway, Tikki said that if you died, Plagg would disappear, just like taking off the miraculous makes them disappear." Marinette's calm demeanor was starting to crumble. Her chin started trembling. She sniffed and wiped at her eyes.

"That makes sense," Adrien mused.

"When I got back here, the doctor said that you were bleeding a lot. Too much. You'd been stabbed in the liver, he said, but they were trying to operate on you and stop the bleeding."

She paused again, looking away. This time Adrien didn't say anything, he just reached out and took her hand. He could tell that it was coming, whatever was bothering her so much. Marinette took a deep breath and continued.

"After the doctor left, your father showed up. He asked how you were doing. And he said he blamed himself for what happened."

"What? Really?" Adrien asked, confused. "Ironically, it actually sort of was his fault, but why would he..."

"Adrien," Marinette looked right at him, her expression earnest. "Your father told me he was Hawkmoth."


	28. Chapter 28

"What?" Adrien breathed, though he'd heard Marinette perfectly well.

"He was Hawkmoth all along," Marinette said, her face scrunching up as she fought back more tears.

"But... but he can't be! It's impossible! He was akumatized! Why would Hawkmoth akumatize himself? How could he? It doesn't make sense! If he really said that... then he must have totally lost it! He must have gone crazy! My father can't be Hawkmoth!"

"And he knew that we were Ladybug and Chat Noir, too," Marinette continued, as though she hadn't heard or considered anything he'd just said.

Adrien choked on his words. He couldn't fathom why Marinette would be saying such ridiculous things. Maybe _she_ was the one who'd had a few screws knocked loose. He was confused, and even angry. But he didn't want to lash out at her, no matter how preposterous her allegations were. She'd obviously been through a lot that evening. He would have to be gentle with her; help her to see reason.

"He figured out that you were Chat after he saw your head wound when we met him outside your apartment. And he figured out I was Ladybug when I showed up here tonight. I shouldn't have known where to find you," Marinette continued, as though determined to keep speaking no matter what.

"Marinette, it can't be true," he said, gently but firmly, like he was trying to calm a crazy person. "For crying out loud, I lived with him," he chuckled. "How could Hawkmoth live in the same house as Chat Noir for years, and neither one figure out who the other is? If my father was really dedicating his life to finding our miraculouses, he would have found mine. I wore it in front of him all the time!"

"Then Plagg disappeared, and I knew you must have died or had your ring removed." Marinette, refusing to be sidetracked, plodded on mercilessly with her story. "The doctor came and told us that you'd bled to death during surgery. He gave your father the bag with everything you'd been wearing. Then we went to see your body."

Adrien stifled his frustration. He knew Marinette must be in shock. He wondered what it must have been like for her. He tried to imagine how he would feel going to see Marinette's body with her father if Mr. Dupain had been an outwardly cold and distant parent. His mind recoiled from the pain of the idea. "I'm sorry, Marinette," He said gently. "If I hadn't jumped in like I did, none of this would have happened."

"No, Adrien. I should have waited for you. I made a lot of mistakes tonight, and we're both paying for them." She sniffed. "My only defense is that when I cast my Lucky Charm, I didn't intend to use it to free the akuma. I was only thinking about helping you get away from your father. But when I saw the solution so clearly, I acted instinctively and just... did it."

Adrien still wasn't sure what had made Marinette lose touch with reality, but he thought maybe she was just feeling guilty that her slip up had—for a short time—cost him his life. So he did his best to comfort her. He drew her into his arms and rubbed her back while she softly cried into his shoulder.

"It'll be okay, princess, you'll see. In a few weeks we'll be looking back on this and see that it's just a little bump in the road."

"No..." Marinette shook her head and leaned back, looking Adrien in the face again. "It gets worse! And I should have known! I should have been on my guard. And the worst part is that I can't even make myself feel sorry about it, except for your sake."

"What?"

She started speaking so quickly that Adrien had a hard time keeping up. "He took them. My earrings. And he already had your ring in the bag. And he ran. And I wasn't fast enough to catch up to him. He did it...this...Your life was his wish. He wanted to bring your mom back. That's why he wanted our miraculouses all this time. But he brought you back instead. And I'm glad he did. I think I shouldn't be, but I am! I'm so glad!"

Adrien was shocked for a moment, but then he thought he saw a way to help Marinette out of her delusion.

"Marinette," he spoke softly, trying to show that he wasn't angry or insulted, hoping that she saw he was trying to help her. "You're wearing your earrings. They're right here." He touched her ear, running his finger over the smooth black stone of her miraculous.

"I know they are!" She huffed, finally getting a little irritated at his condescending tone and his assumption that she'd gone insane. "I found him hiding in a bathroom. I chased him through this whole damned hospital trying to stop him! And I got to him just as he made his wish, and then I took back the miraculouses. Mine. Yours. And the brooch of the butterfly: Hawkmoth's miraculous."

Adrien watched, feeling his skepticism shatter like a thin pane of glass when met with a flying rock, as Marinette produced his ring and an unfamiliar tiny black brooch from her bag. Adrien took the ring and stared at the brooch.

"That's... Hawkmoth's miraculous?" He asked.

"That's what Tikki says."

Adrien had all but forgotten that Tikki was with them. He looked down and saw the little red kwami poke her head out of Marinette's bag. She looked weak and tired even though he knew that Marinette had fed her already.

"It's all true, Adrien," she said. "I'm sorry, but it's all true."

"Here, Tikki. Take another." Marinette stuffed a second cookie into her bag and the kwami disappeared again.

"Granting a wish seems to have taken a lot out of her," Marinette noted, keeping her eyes averted from Adrien. "Plagg might be starving when you put the ring back on," she nodded toward the ring in Adrien's hand. "There's one last thing..."

"Just one?" Adrien laughed mirthlessly as the truth and all its implications started to sink in. "My father... _my_ father is Hawkmoth?! _He's_ the one who's been terrorizing Paris for years? _He's_ the one who's been abusing Nooroo by twisting his power for evil? _He's_ the one who betrayed my mom—his _wife!—_ to steal her miraculous and got her killed?" Adrien jumped up and started pacing the room. "My _father_ did all this? All this time I thought... but no... where is he? Did he run away? We have to stop him!"

"No, Adrien. It's not like... No, I don't think he betrayed your mom. And I don't think she's dead, either."

"But..."

"He was after our miraculouses so he could save your mom from something. I don't know what it is. But the last thing he said to me was asking for my help, to find her in Tibet. So I don't think she's dead."

A wild hope rose up within him. Suddenly, the idea that his father was Hawkmoth seemed almost inconsequential. He'd wanted to use the miraculouses to save Adrien's mom! He hadn't had some sort of evil plan after all! Well, maybe it was sort of evil, but not as bad as he'd always thought it was. And his mom might not be dead! He could get her back!

"I have to say it now," Marinette interrupted his thoughts. "The longer I put it off the harder it's going to be. I'm sorry. I feel like I should have said it a lot sooner. I've been trying to."

"You should have said what?"

"You remember that the wish comes at a cost, don't you? An equal but opposite consequence of the thing wished for?"

And just like that, all his uplifted feelings sank back down again. "Did my father kill someone to bring me back?"

"He traded his own life for yours, Adrien."

"He... what?"

"I called for help and they rushed him back to the ICU, but there's nothing they can do for him. He's gone. He used his wish to save you and paid for it with his own life." Her eyes were swimming again. "I'm so sorry."

Adrien didn't say anything for a long time. He stared at Marinette for a minute, taking in the intense candor of her expression, then hunched over and dropped his head into his hands with a mournful sigh.

Marinette draped her arm over his back and rested her head on his shoulder. They sat there alone together, secluded from the outside world, while the minutes silently ticked past.

After a while, soft sobs began to echo through the bright empty room.

—

The world carried on, as it always does. The discovery that his father had been Hawkmoth, followed by the news that he had sacrificed himself to save Adrien's life, had been a critical blow to the young man's psyche. For the first several days after that fateful night, Adrien had trouble internalizing the information. He knew, in his mind, that it was all true. But he still kept himself on the alert for any sign of a new akumatized villain. And, after he moved back into the Agreste estate—which he now owned—he expected to see his father walking the halls and giving instructions to Nathalie, or hear his voice echoing from other rooms while he argued with a business partner over the phone.

In his father's will, Adrien had been left nearly everything. The company, the mansion, the cars, the money, all the furniture, and most of the real estate properties. Gabriel had given a few things to other people. Some family friends whom Adrien remembered from his early childhood were given the piece of land and house they'd been renting from his father. Nathalie and The Gorilla were both given a large sum of money and several hundred shares of Gabriel stock. There were a few people mentioned whom Adrien had never met before. They received items from the house that seemed to hold sentimental value, like a large vase, or a jade statue, or an ivory hair comb.

Gabriel Agreste's funeral was big news on all the stations, in every newspaper, and all over social media. They had to have guards posted around the funeral home and cemetery to keep the paparazzi out. But despite the hordes of people interested in the fashion superstar's death, the number of people who attended funeral were shockingly few. Adrien, Alya, Nino, Marinette, and Marinette's parents were there. As were The Gorilla and Nathalie. But none of Gabriel's other business associates felt close enough to the man to make an appearance. And Gabriel didn't have any other living relatives.

Adrien was miserable living in the giant house that had belonged to his father, but he felt it necessary in order to set his affairs in order. He hired The Gorilla and Nathalie to temporarily continue their roles as driver and assistant, because he knew they were superb at their jobs and didn't want them forced to look for new ones on such short notice. Most of the time, however, he was all alone with his memories, and he hated it. He intended to sell the place as soon as he could, and that meant going though everything and clearing it all out. His friends sometimes came over to help him, especially Nino and Marinette. This was both a blessing and a curse, because even though Adrien didn't want to be alone, ever, his latent misery seemed to erupt from him as a volatile temper whenever he was around people. And even though he was glad for the company, he worried that sooner or later he would push them too far and they wouldn't want to come back.

As the days passed into weeks and summer started relaxing into fall, Marinette gently brought up the subject of announcing Hawkmoth's 'defeat' to the news. Neither Ladybug nor Chat Noir had made an appearance since Hothead, and people were starting to wonder what had happened to them. Alya had been writing nonstop conspiracy theory blog posts about the heroes. She felt there must be some significance to the fact that Chat Noir hadn't been present at the last battle, and she was highly suspicious that Adrien had been healed after the Miraculous Ladybug power had been used. Some of her theories were, in fact, uncomfortably close to the mark. But Adrien didn't feel up to having a press conference as Chat and answering all those questions. It didn't feel right saying that they had 'defeated' Hawkmoth when they hadn't done any such thing. And any other explanation they might offer would bring too much scrutiny to the situation.

Marinette had returned the butterfly miraculous to Master Fu at her earliest convenience. They had not summoned Nooroo, even though Adrien had really wanted to. Marinette thought the poor kwami had been through enough already, and may even be in need of restoration. And she trusted the Master to ask any and all necessary questions in his own time.

Adrien was frustrated with the decision, even though at the time he thought she was probably right. Still, he couldn't help but be short with Marinette when he thought about all the questions they'd left unanswered.

"If you felt that strongly about it, then why did you agree with me?" Marinette asked one evening. They were working together in the larger of the house's two studies. Marinette was boxing up books while Adrien sorted through the items in a large oak desk. Plagg was taking a nap in an empty Camembert box on a shelf and Tikki was reading through some of the books stacked on the floor.

"Because it seemed right at the time! But..."

"But it doesn't anymore?"

"I can't think of a reason why summoning Nooroo, just to ask him a few questions, would have been wrong. I trust Master Fu... But I don't always agree with him. And I think I deserve some answers. And you do, too!"

"I'm sure he'll answer our questions eventually."

"Really? When?" Adrien demanded. "Five years from now? Ten? According to his timeline we shouldn't even know one another's identities yet. It's been over five years, and I still don't know where my mom is! And I only think she might be alive because of something _Hawkmoth_ told us!"

Marinette grimaced, like she always did when Adrien referred to his father as Hawkmoth.

"How can you be so... complacent?" He fumed. "Didn't you want to at least ask a few questions?"

"Of course I wanted to. But I just thought..."

"I know. I _know!"_ Adrien slammed one of the drawers closed and wrenched another one open, feeling horrible for snapping at Marinette again, but still angry all the same. Somewhere inside himself he knew that he wasn't really angry at _her_. He didn't even know who he was angry at. He was just... angry. And he couldn't seem to help taking it out on those closest to him.

He turned away, covered his eyes, and took a deep breath, trying to calm himself the way Master Fu had taught him. It worked a little bit.

"Adrien...?"

"I'm sorry, Marinette."

"No... well, yes, thank you. And I forgive you. But... is that the bag of your clothes from the hospital? Why is it in here?"

"Huh?" He looked back. Marinette was pointing at a bag in the drawer Adrien had just opened.

"Oh... No, that's my father's stuff. I just stuck it in there after... I haven't even opened it. I was kind of hiding it, actually." He stared at the hospital bag containing the clothes, shoes, watch, and anything else his father had been wearing when he was at the hospital, not wanting to touch it. Marinette, sensing his aversion, reached in and took out the bag.

"I can do this one, if you want," she murmured.

Adrien grabbed her elbow as she withdrew her hand from the drawer. "I really am sorry, Marinette."

She gave him a small smile. "I know."

"I've been such a jerk lately. I don't know why you put up with it."

Her smile widened. "Don't be silly. Of course you know." She bent a little closer and whispered conspiratorially into his ear. "It's because I love you."

Adrien chuckled a little and wiped some moisture from his eye while Marinette kissed his cheek and took the hospital bag over to her work area.

"Don't be afraid to just throw everything in there in the trash. I kind of don't want to see any of it ever again."

"Mmhmm," she nodded, prying open the knot.

"Um... Marinette? Are you...okay?" Tikki had looked up from her book and was staring at her mistress with a strangely concerned expression.

Marinette paused before reaching into the bag. "Yeah, I'm fine. What do you mean?"

"What's wrong, Tikki?" Adrien asked.

Tikki's eyebrows furrowed. She pursed her tiny lips and floated over to Marinette. "I sense...something. Something familiar. Something..." She zoomed around the place where Marinette was sitting, much like a dog trying to pick up a scent. "...coming from in there!"

Marinette started to reach in to pull everything out.

"No! Don't touch it!

"What? Why not?"

"It might be dangerous. Back up."

Without hesitation, Marinette and Adrien got up and backed away from the bag together. Then Tikki grabbed the bottom corner, upended the bag, and emptied its contents in one jumbled pile on the floor. Then she flitted all over the items, examining every piece, discarding things left and right, until finally... "Aha! I found it!"

"What? What is it?" Adrien asked.

Tikki floated up to eye level dangling a golden locket on a long chain.

"My father's locket? What's wrong with it?" Adrien asked, stepping forward and stretching out his hand.

"Don't touch it!" Tikki backed away, keeping the locket out of reach. "I think it's contaminated."

"Contaminated with what?"

Tikki didn't answer. She just zoomed to the desk, laid the locket on it's dark polished surface, and started examining every tiny crevice in the ornate gold. She opened the locket, revealing a picture of Adrien's mother. She examined the edges of the picture, then finally prised the picture out of the locket. And there it was, behind where the picture had rested, a small splotch of some mysterious dark substance.

"Is... is that...?" Adrien began.

"The same evil stuff we found in New York? The stuff that made the Trash Krakken?" Marinette finished.

Tikki looked up at them gravely. "Yep."


	29. Chapter 29

"And so, we are happy to announce that the citizens of Paris have nothing more to fear from the villain known as Hawkmoth."

Flashes of white light and the snapping sound of shutters filled the crowded room. T.V. News reporters stood shoulder to shoulder in their eager efforts to be near the podium and have their questions answered by the superhero duo. After months of absence, Ladybug and Chat Noir had finally returned to face the spotlight once more.

"Can you tell us how you defeated Hawkmoth?" One reporter asked, stretching his hand up into the air to claim their attention.

Chat kept his face neutral with some effort. He'd been dreading this question. And with hundreds of eyes on them, or perhaps millions including all the viewers watching the live broadcast, he couldn't afford to betray his emotions.

"We can't reveal too much detail," Ladybug explained, leaning in to speak into the bouquet of microphones mounted in front of them. "And I can't even explain why we can't go into detail without giving too much away. But I can say that, in the end, we discovered that Hawkmoth was also a victim in his own way."

Many of the reporters erupted in shouts of protest, but Ladybug held up her hands to silence them.

"No, it's true! Let me put it this way. Have any of you been a victim of Hawkmoth? Or have any of your loved ones?" She looked around the room, actually locking eyes with a few people who Chat remembered battling through the city at some point or other. "Hawkmoth was also a victim. Maybe not in exactly the same way. But I believe he deserves forgiveness and understanding just like anyone else."

"But who is he?" Several shouted.

"We will not be disclosing the identity of Hawkmoth," Ladybug answered firmly.

"What?!"

"You're kidding!"

"C'mon!"

More shouts, flashes of light, camera shutters.

Chat nudged Ladybug. She stepped aside and he took the center stage before the microphones. He wasn't sure what he was about to say. But he felt that if anyone ought to have the last word in this, it should be him.

He calmly gazed out at the sea of reporters with his emerald eyes until the noise died down. The sound of rain and wind beating against the windows mirrored the restless anticipation of the dozens of reporters eager to hear the latest scoop.

Chat took a steadying breath and spoke clearly and plainly. "Hawkmoth is gone. That's what is important here. If you want all the details about how that happened, you're going to leave this room disappointed. We're not going to be giving names or dates or locations. But I will say that the events leading up to this were some of the hardest we've ever had to endure. Ladybug and I learned incredible things about ourselves and about one another. And it stretched us nearly beyond endurance. But we persevered, and maybe we'll be stronger for it in the end. Feel free to speculate all you want. I know you guys love a good mystery. And that, I think, should be enough for your gossip columns and late night talk shows." He smiled crookedly and a little bit of the old glint came back to his eye. A few of the reporters chuckled and the rest seemed resigned.

The news conference lasted for another half hour after that. The reporters questioned them on everything from what the heroes planned to do now that Hawkmoth was gone to whether or not the dynamic duo were still a couple. When the interview was over, the heroes bade farewell and departed from the conference hall, leaving the reporters and news crews slightly dissatisfied.

Ever since he'd learned that his father had been under the influence of an evil power, Chat had been recovering from his grief a bit better. Up until discovering the locket, his emotions had been stewing into a festering poisonous cocktail. Hatred of Hawkmoth, love for his father, anger at both of them, gratitude for his life, guilt for feeling grateful at all, confusion, helplessness, and grief had all mixed together and threatened to swallow him into despair. But discovering the black substance on something his father had carried with him everywhere had shifted his perspective. He now thought it was possible, likely even, that the mysterious black stuff was what caused his father to become Hawkmoth. Maybe Gabriel would have wanted to find the miraculouses anyway. Maybe he would have gone to great lengths to do so. But Chat had to believe that _his_ father, the father he had known five years ago, would never have become an evil super villain if he hadn't been corrupted by an external force.

The mystery of what the black substance was and where it came from intrigued and troubled both him and Ladybug. Fortunately, Tikki and Plagg had been able to neutralize it together on the spot. But they were still no closer to answers than they had been the day they found it.

Chat leapt from a ledge and launched himself skyward with his staff, catching the spire of the Eiffel Tower and perching on it in a semi-crouched position. Ladybug joined him a couple of seconds later, sitting on his knee and clasping her yo-yo to her hip. With Chat's enhanced strength, her weight was practically unnoticeable. But her closeness still brought heat rushing to his cheeks.

"What are you thinking about, kitty?" She asked, gazing out over the rain soaked city.

"If I told you it would only make you blush." He grinned.

She looked at him and smirked. "You're blushing already. Good things, then?"

"Yeah. Still want to know?"

"We're supposed to be doing hero stuff right now."

"I know. But only complete idiots would be out committing crimes in weather like this. I don't think there's going to be any hero stuff to do today." Chat squinted our into the chilly mist-shrouded city, not really able to hear or see anything through the rain.

"Yeah, I figured as much. But I just wanted to show the reporters, and the city, that we're back on watch. Seeing us on TV is one thing, but now lots of people can just look up and see us with their own eyes. Well, maybe." She frowned and narrowed her gaze. "I can't really see anything through all this."

Chat was about to tell her it was impossible that anyone would spot them on such a rainy day and suggest they go somewhere warm and dry, when a small movement from the ground caught his attention.

"Well," he chuckled. "What do you know?"

"What is it?"

"Alya and Nino. See? Right down there."

At the base of the tower, swinging her umbrella wildly, Alya was jumping up and down in excitement and waving at them. Nino stood next to her, also waving but in a somewhat more dignified manner.

Ladybug squinted down, then smiled. "Yeah!" She leaned forward and waved down at their friends, which caused Alya to jump on Nino in a victorious embrace, knocking his umbrella out of his hand. The couple waved up to them one last time, then continued walking up the lane, in the direction of Marinette's house.

"Well, that was worth it, I guess," Chat chuckled. "Only I thought they were busy with wedding preparations today."

Nino had proposed to Alya at the end of the summer, after much deliberation over when, where, and how he would do it. In the end, he'd just blurted out the question after one of their dates. Alya, of course, had said yes and wanted to plan a spring wedding. So they only had seven more months to get everything ready.

"Wedding planning? Today? What were they supposed to be doing today?"

Chat tried to remember what Nino had told him over the phone the previous night. "I think... something about Alya's dress? And the cake?"

Ladybug's eyes grew wide in panic. "The cake?! The _dress?!_ Is it Wednesday today?!"

"Um, yeah. Why?"

"Crap! Crappity crap! I have to go! Sorry!" She grabbed Chat's face, gave him a firm—though slightly panicked—kiss goodbye, then dove off his knee shouting, "I'll see you later!"

Chat watched her cast her yo-yo and swing effortlessly through the city until she was out of view. Then he shook his head with an amused smile, and leapt off of the tower, heading back toward the Agreste estate and a nice hot shower. Once he got cleaned up a bit, he'd make his way over to the bakery. It sounded like that was where all the action was.

Alya and Nino weren't the only ones busy with their wedding preparations. Marinette was Alya's maid of honor and Adrien was Nino's best man and the two of them were helping out as much as possible. Almost every day brought new, vitally important, decisions to be made. There were colors to be chosen, dresses and tuxedoes to be rented, flowers to order, a photographer to be booked, invitations to write and mail, and bachelor and bachelorette parties to plan. Mr. Dupain had practically begged for the honor of making the cake for his daughter's best friend's wedding. And, in a burst of inspiration and generosity, Marinette had offered to make Alya's wedding dress for her. Which was probably why Alya and Nino we're visiting the bakery just then.

As the months flew by, Christmas came and went. A new year was rung in with joyous celebration. And when winter finally melted into spring without a single new akuma attack, the citizens of Paris began to really believe that Hawkmoth was actually gone for good.

Nino and Alya were married on the first really warm day in May. Neither the bride nor the groom was terribly interested in keeping things too traditional. Marinette had made a lovely, but comfortable dress for the bride in a slightly pinkish hue. Paired with a white lace shawl it was both gorgeous and functional. Marinette and the bridesmaids wore varying styles of dresses in any color they liked as long as it complemented the overall scheme. Nino and his groomsmen all wore casual suits in slate grey.

The ceremony was held in the gardens behind the Notre Dame under trees heavily laden with flower blossoms. Everything went off without a hitch, aside from the flower girl—Alya's youngest sister, who was only four—getting scared and crying halfway down the aisle with her basket of rose petals.

When it was all over and the newlyweds had dashed off to enjoy their seaside honeymoon in Marseille, Adrien and Marinette sat at one of the empty reception tables together while they waited for the rental company to come pick everything up.

"Wow, it seems like it went by so fast. I can't believe it's all over," Adrien sighed.

"It's hard to believe they're actually _married!_ " Marinette said.

Adrien pulled at his tie to undo the knot, then unfastened his top collar button. "They are kind of young, but I'm not surprised. They really seem to belong together."

Marinette, who had seemed somewhat distracted by the collar unbuttoning, blinked. "Oh, I didn't mean that. I just meant that, after all those months of preparation, it's hard to believe it's all over."

"Marinette Dupain-Cheng. There you are!"

Adrien and Marinette looked up to see Marlena and Otis Césaire, Alya's parents, coming toward them.

"I just wanted to tell you how absolutely gorgeous that dress you made for Alya is. It was just so perfect! Wasn't it, Otis?"

Alya's father nodded with an affirmative grunt and dabbed at his eyes with a napkin.

"Thank you," Marinette smiled. I't was really my pleasure to make it for her. And I'm honored that she wore it on her special day."

"Well, it was absolutely perfect. This whole wedding was. Thank you, both of you, for all the work you put in." She handed each of them a small box wrapped in paper and tied with a bow. "Alya wanted me to make sure you got these if she didn't get a chance to give them to you herself today."

"Thanks," they said in unison.

Mrs. Césaire smiled at them with glistening eyes, then grabbed her husband's arm and led him away.

Adrien and Marinette tore into the paper and opened the boxes. Inside they each found a framed picture of the four of them; Alya, Nino, Adrien, and Marinette. It was from a trip to the zoo they had taken together a couple of years earlier.

"Wow," Adrien said. "This is so great."

"I love it," Marinette breathed. Then she sniffed and wiped at her eye.

"Aw, you're not getting all weepy now, too, are you?"

Marinette laughed and wiped her eyes again. "Hey, it's a wedding, people are supposed to cry!"

Adrien laughed, balled up the wrapping paper, and tossed it into a trash can at the edge of the lawn.

"You know, we're pretty much done emptying out the estate," he said.

"You got the kitchens cleaned out already?"

"Yeah. I was sad to let my chef go, but it had to be done. Now there's just my bedroom to empty. Then I can get it professionally cleaned and put the place on the market."

"Have you decided which condo you're buying?"

Adrien pursed his lips thoughtfully. He knew he had to move out of the mansion and into his own... _really_ his own place. And soon. But he hadn't been putting much thought at all into where he would move, or what would happen to all his stuff. All those details seemed trivial to him. What had really been occupying his mind, aside from helping his friends with their wedding, was planning when and how he would travel to Tibet to look for his mother. The last words his father had spoken had been begging Ladybug to find her. It was a desperate attempt to save Adrien's mother that had driven his father to become Hawkmoth. She had to be out there somewhere, perhaps in great danger.

He sort of took it for granted that Ladybug would want to help him on his mission. But asking Marinette to travel seven thousand kilometers away, to face unknown dangers and with no clear plan, seemed like a supremely stupid thing to do. He knew he couldn't do it alone, but how could he ask her to go with him? They were barely out of high school. What about her own plans for college? And a career in fashion design? And how would she explain to her parents that she was running away to China with her boyfriend? Not to mention that, if they did go together, they would be leaving Paris undefended.

"What's the matter?" She asked, and he realized he hadn't answered her question.

"Um, nothing."

She scowled, not accepting that answer.

"I've just had some other things on my mind. I don't really care which condo I get. I'll pick one at random if I have to. Let's talk more about it later, okay?"

"Later tonight?"

"Actually, do you think you can come over tomorrow morning?" he asked. "I'd appreciate a little help clearing out my bedroom, if you're free."

"Adrien Agreste, are you inviting your girlfriend into your bedroom?" Marinette smirked.

Adrien chuckled and felt suddenly warm. He unfastened another button at his collar. "Yeah, I guess I am."

Marinette grinned, took his hand, and leaned in close. "I'll come over. But promise we won't be working the _whole_ time?"

The following morning, Marinette made good on her promise and showed up early, ready for a full day of sorting and packing. Of all the rooms they had packed up so far, his bedroom was the one Adrien felt the most nostalgic over. This was the room where his mother used to read him bedtime stories. This was the room where he'd spent countless hours learning piano and Chinese. This was the room where he'd first met Plagg and become Chat Noir. He even had memories with Ladybug in this room. Together they had battled with several akumatized villains here, one of them had even been his father.

The two of them worked together all morning packing up all of Adrien's remaining belongings; his CDs, his games, all the frivolous and expensive toys his father had filled the room with for him. Adrien didn't really care about any of that stuff. The only things he wanted to keep were some clothes, his computer, his fencing gear, and his piano.

"I always kind of hated practicing the piano," he confessed when they paused for a break, running his fingers along the glassy smooth surface. "But I do enjoy playing, as long as I'm not locked in a room by myself."

"Could you play something for me?" Marinette asked.

"For you? Sure. What would you like?" He pulled out the bench, sat down, and patted the seat for Marinette to sit with him.

"Oh, I don't know," she said, scooting onto the bench at his side. "Something you like playing."

Adrien thought for a moment. Then he smiled, stretched his fingers, and began to play.

He kept his eyes focused on the keyboard while his fingers flew so rapidly they seemed to blur together. His hands bounced and danced, and from the instrument a bold, buoyant song exploded out at them. He enjoyed this song because it made him think of happy things, like a flock of birds quarreling in the trees, or dogs running and playing in a field, things that were free and far away. Sometimes the notes sounded suspiciously discordant, but that was how the piece was written, the song itself flagrantly broke the rules of music.

When he'd played the final resolving chord, Marinette applauded wholeheartedly. "That was amazing!" She gushed. "I've heard you play before, but I had no idea you were this talented!"

"Thanks." He ran his hand through his hair. "It's called Sabre Dance. It's one of the only pieces I learned to play because I wanted to."

"So, are you going to tell me what was bothering you yesterday?"

Adrien frowned. "I was hoping to put it off."

Marinette just raised an eyebrow and watched him patiently.

"Before I tell you what I'm thinking, I want you to know that I don't like it any more than you do."

She raised her other eyebrow and her expression shifted from patient to suspicious.

"I'm going to go look for my mom in Tibet."

"Of course we are! Why would you—?"

"I can't ask you to come with me, Marinette."

She looked utterly confused, and more than a little hurt.

"It only makes sense. I don't know how long it will take to find her, if I ever do. And I don't intend to come back until I do. Plus, if we both go, who will be here to defend Paris? And what will you tell your parents if you're going to disappear with me for who knows how long? I have no idea where to even start looking, except to wander around in an enormous country where I may or may not be able to talk to the locals, depending on their dialect. And to top it all off this looks like it will be insanely dangerous!"

Marinette's eyes had gradually narrowed while he made his speech, and her jaw had set. "Adrien Alexandre Agreste, you are not going to get away with this."

"I can't—"

"Can't do it without me? You're right, so I'm going with you!"

"But you don't understand! I plan to leave soon! Like, this summer! Maybe even as soon as I sell the house."

"And I'll come with you. I don't see the problem." She folded her arms defiantly.

"Don't you think your parents are going to wonder where you are?"

"I'm legally an adult now. I can move out if I want to. Just like you did."

"I didn't move half a continent away, Marinette! My father knew where I was. Your parents might think you've been kidnapped."

"Why don't I just tell them I'm with you?"

"Okay, so they'll think that _I've_ kidnapped you! I guess your dad is going to bake me in that oven after all."

Marinette laughed and Adrien couldn't help but join in.

"And Paris need you," he added. "We can't leave the city completely unprotected."

"Well, I agree with you there. But there are other options, you know, now that we don't have to worry about akumas."

Adrien scowled at the piano keys in front of him. He'd known that Marinette wouldn't like the idea. But somehow he'd convinced himself that she would limit her resistance to complaining or maybe even crying about it. He wasn't prepared for her arguments.

"And before you go getting any clever ideas," she warned. "I am perfectly prepared to chase you all the way to Tibet on foot if I have to."

"You wouldn't!"

"Oh, wouldn't I? Have you ever timed our movement through the city? My top speed is about five hundred kilometers per hour when I'm using my yo-yo. And I can keep that up all night."

Adrien ground his teeth together. "You wouldn't have money, or food, or speak the language..."

"I guess I'd have to find you pretty fast, then. If only I had a way of tracking Chat Noir... Wait, I do!" She grinned wickedly.

"What if I just didn't transform?" he asked, folding his arms stubbornly. Their tracking devices only worked while they were transformed into their superhero personas.

"Would you really do that to me? Knowing that I didn't have any money, or food, or speak the language at all?"

Damn it. He wouldn't. And she knew he wouldn't. "Marinette... Don't you understand that I'm trying to protect you?"

"Of course I do. But I need to protect you, too. We're the bug and cat team. We stick together!"

He sighed, conceding the battle. But as far as he was concerned the war was not yet over.

A knock at his bedroom door made them both jump.

"Who's that?" Marinette asked.

"It's got to be Nathalie. Come in!"

Nathalie opened the door and stepped inside. "Forgive me for interrupting, sir. But I believe there are a few things that I ought to bring to your attention."

"Okay?" It still felt weird having Nathalie call him 'sir'.

"These things have to do with a... secret hobby of your father's."


	30. Chapter 30

Adrien stood in the open doorway and watched Nathalie leave the Agreste estate with mingled relief and regret. The woman had been his tutor for many years. She had always been loyal to his family. She had known his mother. She'd helped him personally on several occasions at the risk of her own job. But this last piece of news was just a bit too much, and he didn't know if he would ever be able to look at her the same again. It was good that today was her last day working for him anyway. He would have hated firing her.

"Are you okay?" Marinette's voice came softly from behind.

Adrien eased the door closed and turned to face her.

"What did she tell you?" Marinette asked.

Nathalie had insisted on speaking with Adrien privately about the sensitive subject she was bringing up. Even now when it scarcely mattered anymore, she would keep her knowledge a secret. Adrien wasn't sure whether he found that to be more admirable or abhorrent.

"She knew," he said at last. "All along, she knew that my father was Hawkmoth."

"No!"

"It's true. She showed me the secret entrance to his...lair." He grimaced. "I found this in there." Adrien produced a small black hexagonal Chinese box, richly decorated with red designs and symbols on top. He could tell that Marinette recognized it instantly. They each had one of their own. It was in boxes such ass this that they had first discovered their own miraculouses.

Marinette stepped forward and gingerly took the box into her hands, examining the little recessed place where the butterfly miraculous had once rested. "She never told anyone? Why? If she had only said something..."

"She didn't think anyone would believe her. I hate to admit it, but I know I wouldn't have. And she didn't have any proof other than her own word."

"Still, she should have said something! _I_ would have listened to her!"

"I know..." Adrien sighed and started walking back up the stairs. Marinette's words had stung. He knew that he'd resisted investigating the possibility that his father was Hawkmoth. He'd thought he had proof, after his father had been akumatized. And when Marinette had brought up her suspicions again, he'd shrunk from the idea. But the truth was that he hadn't wanted to face the possibility. And he feared that his hesitancy to seek out an uncomfortable truth might have cost his father's life.

"Adrien, wait!" Marinette called. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to..."

"To what?" Adrien paused at the landing and looked down at her. "What do _you_ have to be sorry for?"

Marinette walked up the stairs to join him. "I... I don't know. I just... I'm sorry you feel the way you do. I'm sorry for this whole crappy situation. It's not fair to you. None of this is. I wish I could make it better." She reached out tentatively and wrapped her arms around his waist, tucking her head under his chin.

Adrien sighed again and circled his arms around her shoulders, resting his cheek on her hair. "You do make it better, Marinette. You always have."

"Hey, kid!" Plagg's voice called from the atelier behind them. "I just remembered something! Get in here!"

Walking into the black and white room, they saw Plagg and Tikki hovering near the back wall in front of a painting of Adrien's mother. It was the only thing left in the cold vacant space, everything else had been moved out already.

Adrien grimaced slightly. Just moments ago Nathalie had brought him into this room and showed him how to activate the secret entrance to Hawkmoth's lair by pressing hidden buttons on the painting's surface. He hoped Plagg wasn't suggesting they revisit that place.

"What is it?" He asked.

"Do you remember how we almost got permanently grounded from school that one time?"

"Um... which time?"

"Oh, come on! You have to remember!"

"Plagg, If it's important just tell us!" Tikki said.

"Okay, there we were on our way to fencing practice. As we were coming down the stairs we heard Adrien's old man arguing with someone on the phone in here. So we peek in. And guess what he had in his hand?"

"Um... his phone?" Tikki guessed, not amused with the story.

"He had a book!" Adrien exclaimed.

"Ding! Ding! Ding! Give the kid a prize!" Plagg chirped. "He had that super important book that Master Fu uses to unlock our special powers. And where do you think he put this book?"

Adrien was already moving. He grabbed the corner of the painting and gave a tug. It swung forward smoothly on hinges, revealing a hidden safe in the wall. "In his safe," he announced.

"The grimoire is in there?" Marinette asked.

"Only one way to find out," Plagg answered. He gave a quick wink and phased through the wall. A second later there was a dull thunk and the safe popped open. The cat kwami flew out of the open door with a satisfied grin on his little black face. "Voila!"

Marinette and Tikki gasped. Adrien stepped forward, gazing into the small dark space. The grimoire was indeed there, on the shelf exactly where it had been before. And there were other things, too. A well worn book about Tibet. A passport. A small picture of his mother. A flyer to a Tibetan hotel. And...

"The peacock miraculous..." he breathed. It was just sitting there, unobtrusively collecting dust in a corner of his father's safe.

He reached out his hand to take it.

"Adrien... shouldn't we take it to...?"

"Not this time, Marinette," he gazed at her determinedly. He would not be swayed this time. "Don't worry, I will give it to Master Fu. But _after_ I've spoken with Duusu."

The others didn't say anything more as he took the brooch into his hand and examined it. The splayed peacock tail in sea green with blue spots was exactly as he'd seen it in the picture of his mother he'd found.

He turned the brooch over in his hand and thought the word, ' _Duusu'._ Instantly, a glowing ball of power materialized before them, shimmering and growing brighter before solidifying into the form of a small dark blue kwami with a feathery peacock-like tail.

She blinked her crimson eyes and looked up, then squeaked in terror and darted behind the painting.

"Wait, what's the matter?" Adrien, called.

"A-Adrien? Is that...you?" Her tiny voice trembled from behind the painting.

"You know me?"

Duusu's little blue head peeked around the corner of the painting, so that only her feathery crest, the red dot in the middle of her forehead, and her bright eyes showed. She looked around and gave a little gasp when she finally noticed Tikki and Plagg.

"What are you two doing here? What's going on? Where's Emilie? Is she safe? What happened?"

Tikki floated forward. "We were actually hoping you could answer some of those questions."

Duusu, having seen the other kwamis, floated out from behind the painting. She looked up at Adrien again. "You sure have grown up, Adrien."

Adrien chuckled. "I don't remember you at all."

"Of course you don't. I was a secret. But where's your mom?"

His face fell. "Don't you know? She disappeared. I was hoping you could help us find her."

"You mean... she didn't come back? She's still there?!"

"Still where?!" Plagg asked.

"I...I'm not sure... exactly. We were far away from here, exploring some old ruins, when we found it. But I don't remember exactly where it was."

"In Tibet?" Adrien offered, showing her the flyer for the Tibetan hotel.

"I remember that! Yes! Yes! But it wasn't at that place. Those came from where she slept one night. We found the dark creature far away from there. We had to take a car and ride horses and camp out and everything. Is she really still there? This is horrible! Did Nooroo make it back?"

Adrien didn't know what to say.

"Nooroo is with Master Fu now, Duusu," Tikki offered. "Is there anything else you can tell us about Emilie and where she is?"

Duusu rubbed her paws together uncertainly. "I'm sorry. All I know is that I think we went north away from that hotel."

"You said you found a dark creature?" Marinette asked. "What do you mean? What happened with it?"

"It's... hard to explain."

"Please, Duusu," Adrien begged. "I haven't seen my mom for five years. Tell me everything you can."

Duusu looked around at all of them. "I get the feeling a lot has happened while I was dormant."

"That's an understatement," Plagg said, rolling his shining green eyes.

"I'll tell you what I can. But I don't know how helpful it will be. Emilie, your mom, found something the wilderness in Tibet. It was destroying everything it touched and slowly heading toward a small village, but we couldn't stop it. We sought Master Fu for help and he gave Nooroo's miraculous to your mom. He told us to return it when we were done, and to choose someone to help us."

"Master Fu told me most of that. But he didn't know what happened after she left," Adrien said.

"Your father didn't know that your mom was Le Paon. I don't think he ever even heard of her. We kept ourselves pretty secret. Well, she hid Nooroo's miraculous somewhere she knew your father would find it among the ruins they were touring. Later that same night she met him as Le Paon, explained what the miraculous was, and asked him to help her defeat the evil creature.

"When we approached the precipice overlooking the thing, she asked him to summon a butterfly and grant her additional power, something that would stun or freeze the creature long enough for her to purify it. He did as she asked, and Le Paon was given the power to stop time. She used the new power to stop the creature and then she was able to use my miraculous power to purify it." Duusu sighed.

"So why didn't she come back?" Adrien asked.

"Something went wrong. My miraculous power backfired. I don't know why or how, but when we tried to purify the creature, it's dark power became light, but it didn't... it went all wrong! It became worse. I don't know how else to describe it. And I don't remember anything after that until you found me just now."

—

Adrien returned Duusu to Master Fu as he'd said he would. The little blue kwami was grateful to be with the guardian, but she also was clearly troubled by what had happened.

Master Fu was intrigued and disturbed by her description of the evil creature Le Paon had found in the remote wilderness of Tibet. He promised to do some research on the matter and summon Adrien and Marinette as soon as he had anything to tell them.

Adrien packed up the painting of his mother and hired contractors to remove the secret entrance to the old observatory that his father had used as his lair. He didn't want any future residents discovering it and making the unfortunate connection. Once everything had been fixed, he moved in to a condo in a high rise near the center of the city and put the Agreste Mansion on the market.

Chat Noir and Ladybug still patrolled the streets of Paris, sometimes during the day and sometimes at night. Adrien had a lot of things to keep himself busy with as well. But still he felt as though he were in limbo. He desperately wanted to go and start looking for his mother. But he also knew that it was vital to wait until they heard news from Master Fu.

In his free time Adrien had been doing a lot of thinking. Thinking about how their powers worked, about the caution Master Fu had advised they take, about the consequences of their actions. And he was coming to some very sobering conclusions. He was beginning to think that his death, and subsequently his father's death, was caused by the black cat miraculous and it's need to bring balance between good luck and bad. Plagg avoided the subject whenever Adrien brought it up, which seemed to confirm his theory. Adrien was nowhere near blaming Ladybug for what had happened. But he was growing to fear, almost dread, what his miraculous might do in the future. If Ladybug needed a strong dose of luck, where might that luck come from? If his luck ran so dry that his father had died, might the same fate fall on others? What other kinds of things might happen because of his bad luck? And if Marinette's fate was tied with his own, was it possible that she would suffer because of it, too? Part of him thought that he was being unreasonable, overreacting. But another part thought that it was better to be safe than sorry. And if Ladybug stayed behind in Paris, he thought he wouldn't need to worry about his bad luck affecting her.

Adrien and Marinette (and Chat and Ladybug, too, for that matter) continued to argue about whether Marinette would be traveling to Tibet with him or not. Marinette's tactics were varied and numerous. Sometimes she simply spoke as though it were taken for granted that she was going. Sometimes she brought up compelling arguments, like the fact that Chat had always relied on Ladybug to help him out of trouble as much or more than Ladybug relied on him. Sometimes she tried to guide his thinking, asking leading questions designed to show him how much he needed and wanted her to be with him. Sometimes she focused on attacking his arguments against her going with. She explained that, without akumas to worry about, Rena Rouge could easily take the role of lead superhero for Paris. Marinette could tell her parents that she'd received a scholarship to study abroad to explain her absence. And, as Adrien had pointed out before, she had plenty of prestigious job offers already, she didn't actually need to get a degree in fashion design to start a successful career when they got back.

Adrien felt his resolve weakening over time. But he held firmly to his one and only surefire defense. He just kept saying 'no.'

They were in Adrien's new condo together when Marinette finally decided to pull out her big guns and end the war. Adrien had asked her to help him put up pictures and arrange his furniture in a sensible manner. His new place was much larger than his apartment with Nino had been. It was even larger than his bedroom in the Agreste estate had been. So it was a lot more work getting everything organized and situated than he'd anticipated it would be.

"So, should the leather sofa go on the back wall? Or by the windows?" he asked, eyeing the floor space and trying to visualize how it might look.

"Neither," Marinette answered with an amused grin. "It should go right here in the middle of the room. And we'll put those two chairs by the window facing it."

Together, they pushed it into place and shoved the piles of packing paper, tape, and empty cardboard boxes aside to see the result.

"Nice! Good eye, Marinette. I like how it helps to section off the big space." He flopped down in the sofa and put his feet up on the low table with a contented sigh and a grin. "Feel like taking a break?"

"But we've barely started!" Marinette eyed him shrewdly. "Are you sure you actually asked me here to help?"

Adrien chuckled. "You got me. I really asked you here to be eye candy while I'm lazy. So come on." He patted the cushion invitingly. "It's such a nice view. Sit and enjoy it with me for awhile."

Marinette snickered, but curled up at his side willingly and Adrien happily wrapped his arm around her shoulders. It was indeed a nice view, they sat on the thirtieth floor overlooking the sprawling cityscape, with a clear view of the Eiffel Tower, the Seine, and the Palais de Chaillot in the distance.

"I think this will be a nice place once you get it all set up."

"Yeah, I know. But I think it will take a really long time to get everything unpacked. I might have to ask you to come over and help me some more." He sighed sadly, but couldn't suppress a smile. "We might have to spend a lot of time cooped up in here alone together."

Marinette grinned back at him and wrinkled her nose. "Oh, so _that's_ your game? I should have known."

"Mmm hmm," Adrien hummed, leaning in to kiss her with a roguish grin. "Awful, isn't it? I'm such a scoundrel."

"Bad kitty," she snickered while Adrien's lips roamed around her neck and collarbone.

For a while all talk was abandoned as their lips were preoccupied with other, more important tasks.

Finally, when Adrien had dared to slide his hands up underneath Marinette's blouse, she sighed and whispered into his ear. "You know, we might be spending a lot of time alone together in Tibet."

Adrien growled. "It's not happening, Marinette."

She ran her fingers through his golden hair, moaning softly as he continued to stroke her smooth flesh. "Just think, we could be there for months, years maybe. Just you and me."

Adrien sighed and dropped his forehead to her shoulder. Why did she want to have this conversation _now?_ "It's not going to be a vacation, Marinette."

"I know that. But it doesn't mean it has to be all bad."

Adrien sat up and so did Marinette, pouting a little. He looked down at his hands, not wanting to be swayed by her compelling blue stare. "You are _not_ coming with me."

Marinette glowered for a moment, then gave a little huff and said, "fine, then!"

Adrien looked up. "What? Really?"

"Yeah. I give up. I can see that there's no way you'll let me go with you."

"Huh. Okay. Good. Look, I know that—"

"But you can come with me if you want."

Adrien blinked. "What did you say?"

"I'm going to Tibet to save your mom. I have an idea of where to start and where to go. And I could really use your help. But I'll still do it whether you come with me or not."

Adrien felt the blood rush out of his face. "Marinette, be reasonable!"

"Oh, I am! And I gave you plenty of time to see reason, too."

"B-but... but you can't!"

"And why not?" She demanded.

Adrien stammered nervously. "Um... b-because?"

"Uh huh... I see. Well, in spite of that brilliant and _reasonable_ argument, I think I'm sticking with my plan."

Adrien groaned and collapsed back against the sofa cushions, running his hands through his hair. "And this was starting to be such a _good_ day!"

Marinette grinned. "I don't have any objections to picking up where we left off."

"What are you going to tell your parents?"

"I don't know yet. I don't really want to fake going to an international school. But that looks like the best option so far."

With Marinette set on actually going to Tibet, and Adrien fairly caught with no way to prevent her, his mind raced to figure out ways to smooth the way for them. "Well, you could say you got a job."

"Yeah, but I don't. And I hate piling lies on top of lies. It makes things too confusing. And a job is less believable than school."

Something was dawning on Adrien. Something that had been building in his mind for some time already, but seemed to be coming to fruition much sooner than he'd anticipated. He fiddled with his ring nervously.

"What if... What if it wasn't a lie?" He asked.

Marinette looked confused for a second, then her eyes widened in understanding. Perhaps she suddenly remembered that she was speaking with the new PDG of _Gabriel._ Marinette never made much of it, but the truth was that Adrien was the head of the most prestigious fashion house in Paris.

"Are you offering me a job?" She asked.

"You're so amazingly talented, I would be an idiot not to."

"For real? You want me to work for you?"

"Actually..." Adrien hesitated for a moment, blushing. Then he opened a drawer in the low table, and pulled out a small black velvet box. "I really wanted this to be more romantic, you know. But, I was actually hoping you would be... my partner?"

Adrien pulled up the lid of the box, revealing the rose gold engagement ring he'd bought so many months ago. He caught a glimmer of the diamond reflected in Marinette's eyes.

"Marinette Dupain-Cheng, will you marry me?"

—

 **A.N. Thanks for reading! This is the last chapter of The Cat and the Mask. Stay tuned, there may be a sequel in the making! If that happens, I'll be sure to post the first chapter as a teaser here. ;)**


	31. Sequel

**As promised, here is the first chapter of the sequel, "The Seduction of Adrien Agreste."** **Find the rest of the story in my author page!**

 **Follow me on Instagram for updates on my original works and cute pictures of my pets! Because who doesn't need more adorable dog pictures in their life, am I right?** **na_davenport**

 **—**

With quick light strokes of her stylus, Marinette added the finishing touches to her latest design. The hand stitched lace wrapping up from the hem of the gown would be a very delicate and time consuming job. And getting it to hang right, without twisting the fabric or weighing it down too much, would take a good deal of ingenuity. But the resulting effect would be breathtaking.

She stuck the plastic stylus between her lips and chewed lightly on the end, a bad habit carried over from working with pens and pencils in her old paper notebooks.

"Maybe the train is too much. A little old fashioned, don't you think?"

Tikki floated low over the screen, examining the dress design Marinette had been working on for the past several hours. "Not at all, Marinette. I think it's really pretty," she chirped, smiling up at her mistress with shining blue eyes.

Marinette chuckled. "You say that about everything."

"Well, everything you design is really pretty!" Tikki laughed.

Marinette rolled her eyes and grinned at the little red bug kwami. Tikki was truly the embodiment of the force of creation in a package scarcely the size of Marinette's hand. But it was hard to think of her that way when she was being so cute.

"Well, if the ceremony or reception ends up being outside, a dragging train might get dirty. I think a tea length dress would be cute, and it would keep the hem clean. Then everyone would be able to see the shoes, too…" She started erasing the lower portion of the dress, undoing hours of careful work.

"Marinette!" Tikki squeaked. "What are you doing? The dress was perfect!"

Marinette shook her head. "No. It was good, but not perfect. And if I'm going to be getting married to Adrien, I have to have an absolutely perfect dress."

Tikki landed on the desk and stared up at her mistress, furrowing her little brow in frustration. "I never thought you would end up being a bridezilla." She rolled her eyes and sat down with a sigh.

Marinette paused. "Am I, really? Tikki, am I making everyone miserable?" Was this why Adrien…?

Tikki laughed and shook her adorably oversized head. "No, not everyone. Only yourself. You should relax a little. You don't even have a date for the wedding yet and you're tying yourself up in knots over it."

Marinette looked at the half erased design on her tablet, biting on her lower lip. Tikki was right. They didn't have a date set yet. But this was actually a big part of the problem.

She and Adrien had discovered each other's identities as the superheroes Ladybug and Chat Noir. They'd confessed their love for one another. And, eventually, Adrien had proposed to her.

But he'd only proposed because she'd threatened to run off by herself to find his mother, who was missing somewhere in the remote parts of Tibet. Adrien wouldn't let her attempt that rescue mission alone, and the best way for them to go together, without arousing suspicion, was for them to be married. It was a good plan, really. But it made the whole engagement feel like a cover up. A sham.

And if that wasn't bad enough, he seemed to be distancing himself from her lately.

She sighed. Things used to be less complicated between them. Back when they had first learned each other's identities, Adrien had been quite willing to be affectionate with her. He'd exulted in the new freedom of being himself with her, while she was still holding on to the remnants of her nervous awkwardness around him. So, for a while, he'd been roguish and flirty, constantly trying to steal kisses and sneaking away to be alone with her.

Things changed when his father died. Perhaps Adrien blamed himself, somehow, for his father's death. It would be irrational and unjustified, but grief often is irrational. Finding out that his father had been Hawkmoth—the man they'd been waging war against together for years—and that he'd died all at once? And not just died, but sacrificed himself in a final act of desperation to save Adrien. She would have been surprised if it hadn't messed with his head a bit.

She didn't understand why he was distancing himself from her, though. He still wanted to be with her. He kissed her willingly enough. But he'd stopped being the same carefree, brazen flirt she'd known and loved before. He no longer made any attempt to visit her bedroom. He only invited her to his condo during the day, making sure to see her home by dinner time. And their romantic encounters always seemed to come to a close prematurely, without even a hint that anyone was going to be shedding articles of clothes.

He needed time, that was it. Who wouldn't need time after what he'd been through? She would be patient and try not to let it get to her. She could always comfort herself by working on wedding planning.

While she was creating planning boards, designing dresses, and discussing cake options with her parents, it felt a little more real. Like they really were just two people in love who were getting married because they wanted to, not two superheroes who were using a wedding to cover up a clandestine scheme.

She ran her thumb over the rose gold ring on her finger, the engagement ring Adrien had given her. It sparkled dimly in the light from her tablet.

He did love her, she knew that. But something about using her wedding—or, more specifically, their honeymoon—as a coverup just didn't sit too well with her.

She sighed, rested her head on her hand, and ran her stylus over the screen again, filling in the bell shape of a tea length skirt and started adding a swirling cascade of lace around the hem.

The door opened in front of her and a beam of yellow light flooded into the room. She looked up, to see Adrien's tousle-haired silhouette framed in the light of the doorway. His kwami, Plagg, hovered over his right shoulder.

She blinked, a little surprised at how dark it had gotten in her office. How late was it?

"Hey, princess! There you are." Adrien's voice was like warm butter, and filled her with a mixture of conflicting emotions, most of them good.

He flipped a switch on the wall, filling her office with light, and smiled at her.

All of the desks out on the design floor were empty already. Almost everyone else in the building had gone home hours ago, which explained why Tikki had been so comfortable sitting in plain sight on her desk.

"Working late?" He smirked, a very Chat Noir-like expression, and walked across the floor toward her. "Did you lose track of time again?" He stepped around her desk to see what she'd been designing on her tablet.

Marinette bit her lip watching him approach. Did he have to look so impossibly gorgeous all the time? Even in simple casual work attire?

Tikki flew off the desk and embraced Plagg in midair. The two kwamis zoomed once around the room together, then flew out, probably heading to the break room where Marinette kept a stock of cheese and cookies for them.

"Well…sort of," Marinette said, answering Adrien's question. "I'm designing a wedding dress… for myself."

Adrien hesitated for a second, then said, "Oh? Good. That's good. Yeah. It looks really pretty."

Marinette struggled to contain an eye roll. She hadn't failed to notice his moment of hesitation. "It might take a while to put it together, though. Especially with all this lace. If I knew when our wedding was going to be, I'd have a better idea of—"

"Go ahead and start it now," he interrupted. "It wouldn't hurt to have it made early, right?" Adrien grinned at her like he was giving her a present.

She frowned. "No, I guess it wouldn't hurt. But, still, there are a lot of other things for the wedding that are time sensitive. Like invitations and catering, and renting the venue. Don't you think we should set a date soon?"

His smile faltered a little and he shrugged. "We will. Of course we will. But there's still a lot of preparation to do before we go to Tibet. I don't want to miss anything. We've barely scratched the surface of all the journals my father kept. And there are so many unanswered questions about where they went and what they were doing there. We can't just jump in blindly."

Marinette huffed in exasperation and looked away, suddenly stifling tears. Of course he was right. If they got married right away, without having an idea of where they should go in Tibet to look for his mother, or what they should do when they got there, they would surely run into trouble.

Adrien's father had been with his wife when she'd disappeared. He'd perhaps been the only person alive who really knew what had happened to her. Even though he was gone now, he had been a meticulous man who kept extensive and detailed records. When he died Adrien had inherited everything, including his vast collection of journals and artifacts, a veritable mountain of information. Sifting through it all to find what was useful for their quest was taking practically forever.

Bringing up these truths didn't make Marinette feel any better, though. It only reminded her that getting married to Adrien, something she'd been dreaming about for years, was going to be a show put on for the world. They would be saying "I do", but it would be as secret personas for an ulterior motive, not really as themselves. Maybe if Adrien hadn't been acting distant from her lately it wouldn't be such a problem.

"Marinette? What's wrong?" Adrien's fingertips traced under her jaw, lifting her chin up so that she faced him. "Why are you crying?"

She shook her head. "I just… I want it to be real. Doing it like this makes it feel like a show. I want you to marry me because that's what you want to do, not because it's convenient for Ladybug and Chat Noir."

His eyes widened in shock. He knelt next to her, wrapping his arm carefully around her shoulder. "But it is real! Marinette, I love you! More than anything! And I want to be married to you. It's not just a show, you know that, right?"

Marinette wiped her eyes and sniffed. Now she felt guilty, too, but she still wasn't satisfied. She didn't doubt Adrien's love for her, not really, but scheduling their wedding around their secret superhero schedules just felt…artificial.

"I love you, too," she said. "And I know you love me. But can't we… can't we just set a date now? We can still give ourselves time to gather all the information we need. Why don't we set it for this spring?"

Adrien heaved a deep sigh and—to Marinette's annoyance— took back his arm. "I just don't know if that will be enough time. I know it's frustrating for you; it is for me, too. Once we open up all those boxes and go through everything, we'll have a better idea of what we're looking at."

It was maddening talking to him like this, like they were speaking two different languages. Marinette groaned and covered her face with her hands, attempting to stifle her frustration. Not succeeding.

"Forget the cover up!" She turned to face him with tears of anger in her eyes.

He stared, stunned by her outburst.

"I don't care about the cover up anymore! Once we're married, who cares if we take another "vacation"whenever we want?" She made air quotes for "vacation" to get her point across. "We'll be married and we can go places together whenever we want to, without anyone ever questioning it, right?"

He pressed his lips together and leaned back, nodding his head thoughtfully. "Well, I suppose so, but then we might have other obligations after we're married. It might not be so easy…"

"What other obligations? The business? Moonlighting as superhero vigilantes? We do those things already!"

"I wasn't thinking of that exactly—"

"Then what?" she demanded.

He shook his head and chuckled. "You know what? I totally got off track. I actually came here to talk you about a vacation we might take together next week." Adrien smiled, obviously trying to distract her.

It worked. "Huh?"

"Your grandmother called me. She's been trying to get ahold of you all evening, but your phone is on silent."

"Grandma Gina called me?" She pulled her phone out of her bag. Sure enough, she had five missed calls.

"She wants us to go visit her in Florence," Adrien was still grinning.

"Together?"

"Yeah. Sort of an early Christmas celebration, I guess. We'll be back here in time to spend Christmas Day with your parents."

"We're going to visit my grandma together?" She could hardly believe it. Not that Adrien would want to visit her grandmother, of course. He'd met Gina during their graduation and the two of them had really hit it off. But she was surprised that he would be okay with both of them leaving on such short notice.

Adrien had inherited his father's business along with all his money and properties. Gabriel was a world leader in fashion, worth billions of dollars, and it took a lot of managing. For his youth and experience level, Adrien had done remarkably well. One of his earliest and smartest moves had been hiring Marinette as his partner and new head of the design department. With Adrien's natural gift for diplomacy and Marinette's gift for design, they had kept Gabriel's sudden death from running the brand into the ground. Instead, the'd launched it into even greater heights of success.

So it seemed counterintuitive that they would just run off to Italy for a week on the spur of the moment, even to visit Marinette's grandma Gina.

"I love your grandmother!" Adrien laughed. "Are you kidding? She's one of my favorite people. And I think we've been working too hard lately. It would be good to get away for a little while."

"But can we really just leave?" She gestured vaguely in the direction of the design floor.

Adrien scoffed. "The spring line is already out, thanks in a big part to you, I might add. The summer line is well underway. I can leave Campeau in charge of administration for a while. He's trustworthy and capable, maybe even ready for the challenge."

"And what about our other jobs?" She gestured toward the windows overlooking the city.

"I think Paris can handle a week without Ladybug and Chat Noir. Maybe you can call up Rena Rouge to do our rounds. I bet she'd love it."

"She definitely would," Marinette laughed. Rena Rouge, the part time Fox super-heroine, and also Marinette's best friend Alya in her regular life, would pounce at the chance to go full time for a week.

Adrien stood up and held out his hand to her. "What do you say, partner? Shall we visit your grandmother together?"

Marinette grinned at him, took his hand, and stood.

Adrien might think that he'd won their argument about the wedding. He might believe that he'd completely distracted her. But he was wrong. Marinette knew that if there was any woman in the world who could persuade a reluctant fiancé to tie the knot, it was her grandmother, Gina Dupain. And she was absolutely positive that her grandmother would be on her side. She was about to gain a very powerful ally.

Marinette wrapped her arms around Adrien's neck. He smiled and leaned in to bring his lips softly against hers for a moment.

"I would love to go visit my grandmother with you," she said.


End file.
